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Shilsen's Eberron SH (Wherein is the feel of Purple : 11/12/09)
Written by Shilsen
3/29/05
How they met:
The youngest of the four, Mithral 6 of 6 was created only in 992 YK. Built for speed and with scouting abilities unlike the majority of warforged, he ended up in an elite unit of the Cyran military, which specialized in tracking down individuals infiltrating Cyre as well as deserters and others seeking to cross its borders illegally. Another member of the unit was Corven ir'Lanya Deneith, a Deneith descendant but not a member of the house. Corven's more urban investigative skills and his artificer abilities worked well in conjunction with M66's skills and they often found themselves assigned missions together and a friendship developed.
In 994 YK, the pair were among a small team pursuing fugitives across the Droaam border when the Day of Mourning occurred. Hurrying back towards the Cyran border, they were met with scores of refugees who had barely survived the cataclysm. Among the refugees was a man they recognized, a wizard who had been part of another Cyran unit. Though they did not know him personally, they had been told his name was Edgar. The man they met looked just like Edgar, but he persisted in claiming to be called Nameless and displayed no memory of them or anything before the Day of Mourning. Other survivors said that he had come wandering out of the mists that had engulfed Cyre a good two days after the cataclysm.
The refugees fled west, trying to reach the Breland border before the goblinoid hordes of Darguun could catch them, and ended up in a series of running battles (during which they discovered that Nameless was a mage) and were driven further south. By the time they managed they managed to reach the Seawall mountains, only half were alive and less than a quarter eventually made it across into Zilargo. There, they were promptly placed in refugee-cum-prison camps, but at least that was better than a Darguun cookpot. Corven, Mithral 6 of 6 and Nameless all survived, learning to depend on each other's skills in the process.
Gareth Byron Deneith, meanwhile, had been fighting in the north of Cyre among the Deneith forces hired by Karrnath. With the death of his father Byron in the Battle of Grace, he was back in Karrlakton when the Day of Mourning occurred. He continued to fight until the Treaty of Thronehold ended the War in 996. Not interested in joining House Deneith and wishing to find out more about his father's sword, he headed south, planning to see whether the Library of Korranberg in Zilargo had any relevant information about the sword.
Serendipitously, he found himself on the streets of Dragonroost at the same time as Corven, M66 and Nameless (just having been allowed to leave the refugee camp with the War over). The latter three discovered Gareth just as a group of muggers were attacking him and the group found themselves fighting together for the first time. Corven was searching for news of other survivors from his family and following a rumor that a cousin was in Trolanport, planning to take a ship to Sharn (where hundreds of Cyran refugees had ended up) from there, while M66 and Nameless were accompanying him. Gareth received a vision during that first night with the others, hearing a voice from within a silver flame telling him that their paths lay together, so he joined them.
The four headed south to Trolanport, and finding no sign of Corven's cousin, hired on as extra muscle on the sailing ship Wild Duck, heading to Sharn. The rest, as they say, was history. Strange, portentous, heroic, painful and very often hysterically amusing, but history nevertheless...
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
This is a 3.5e Eberron campaign, which we began in March 2005. We generally play weekly but have missed a few here and there, plus I was out of the country for a few months last summer, so we're currently at just over 25 sessions (PCs have moved from 3rd to 8th lvl). For the most part it's a core rules game, though I do a number of things differently as far as mechanics are concerned, such as just awarding a fixed amount of XP per session rather than basing it on encounters and CR, or using a slightly varied action point system (which includes taking death mostly out of the equation). I've commented on a number of these issues in my posts throughout the thread.
On a non-mechanical angle, it's a roleplaying-heavy character-driven game. I didn't set out with a planned plot arc or adventures but rather threw out a bunch of plot hooks and let the campaign develop from the PCs' choices. Those choices also intersect with the backgrounds of the various PCs, with me throwing in background-related material and the PCs being free to interact with and develop on them or not, as they choose. It helps that the PCs (players?) are all somewhat mental, so they create adventure opportunities and get themselves in trouble way more than I could have envisioned. We only have a single combat or two per session (sometimes none at all), so they tend to be significantly tough and challenging. I'm an admitted powergamer (though I police myself a lot) and ruleslawyer, so I get to indulge those as DM too.
These writeups (mine, that is, not AviLazar's, which are an in-character journal) weren't actually designed for a story hour but were actually session recaps for the players. That's why the first few are dry and mostly in point form until I started gradually expanding them for the later ones. The recent ones are the most readable, though I still wouldn't consider them anywhere near what they could be. I'm currently DMing another Eberron game along with this one, as well as playing in Mallus' CITY campaign (also on the Story Hour forum as "The Chronicle of Burne and Other Less Important People") and Michael Tree's M&M game, so I tend to have more than enough gaming stuff to distract me from giving the writing angle more time.
Still, I hope you find these stories entertaining. And if you have any comments or questions, please post. I'm on ENWorld for hours daily, so you can expect a quick reply. Plus it helps massage my little writerly ego
Shil
P.S. In the interests of making stuff easier to find here and to help out new readers, here are a few spots you can jump right to:
Feeling the sea-spray against my skin, smelling the fresh sea air, I enjoy the sunny day. We are soon to arrive to the City of Towers - Sharn! After travelling with my companions for a long time, we agreed that it would be best to stay in Sharn for a time. It will be good to finally call a place home! Sharn, I hear is an amazing city built out of the cliffs supported by vast powers of magic, and a definite place that obeys order and law. It will be interesting to explore this new place, and hopefully, find my holy quest.
As we start to see land, I hear Edgar, or Nameless as he likes to be called, scream and I turn around in time to see a commotion over the side of the bow. I just barely see that we are attacked, and Nameless is screaming "Sea Devils". I rush up in front of Nameless, drawing my sword and acting as a shield for him. While Nameless does have a keen intellect, and his spells serve us well - he is not exactly bred for combat. Out of the corner of my eye I see a bigger, meaner and certainly uglier Saughin come out of the other side of the bow. Realizing he may kill the Captain and then capsize the boat, I rush over to guard the captain. With the Saughin occupied by the two boat guards, I think Nameless will be well protected.
I just make it to the Captains deck to get in between him and the bigger Saughin, and the thing attacks me with his trident. It does do a little bit of damage, but this vile creature will soon know that Kizmet and the power of the Silver Flame is not one to be trifled with! I call upon the power of my god, and smash Kizmet onto the shoulder of this wretched creature making him wince and drop his trident. He seems to be infuriated, good, anger is the first step to the foolish mistakes that evil always make! Some of my companions, Six of Six and Corven, are fighting some more creatures behind me. They look like they are about to come to my aid, by I tell them that I have this one covered and they should not leave their opponents for this one. Right then this creature leaps at me clawing and biting, he slashes at my face, I return a quick swing, a hasty swing and miss him!!! I refocus, this creature is beneath the Silver Flame and will die easily! I see Six of Six walk up from behind this creature and he
smashes him, dealing an almost lethal blow. The creature is not quite dead, so I put him out of his wretched misery.
Turning around it seems that the rest of the group dispatched the other monsters, while some others fled. I hear from one of the boat gaurds that Nameless tried climbing up the ropes for some unknown reason and fell on his back. I tend to his wounds, as well as one of the boatsman who seems very ungrateful. We search the bodies and find that the bigger creature had a masterwork trident with some etchings of his people. I figure we can sell this weapon for a few gold pieces as none of us can or wish to use it. Corven insists that we research the item, claiming that these creatures must have been supplied such a fine quality weapon. I, honestly, do not think these creatures are so simple minded that they cannot create masterwork equipment, but I do not argue with Corven...arguing with family, afterall, never leads to anything good.
Upon arriving into the bay at Sharn we are greeted by tiny little draggons flying around and eating the fish that are left floating on the wake of the boat. The city is more amazing then the stories I have read. Before departing, the boat captain informs us that he would like for us to travel with him again. We let him know that if we do leave, we will inform him. We disembark and are greeted by the Custom's police who question us. In turn we question them about place that we need to get to. Six of Six is not a talkative sort but he keeps asking the customs officers as to how much boat guards make.
We travel into the dock a little and are swarmed by a group of homeless children. Realizing such tactics, I quickly grab my purse to not give them a chance to fleece me. My god reveals to me that many of these kids bear the taint of evil, but all of them want to offer me some kind of service. Sifting through the rut, we hire a boy to be our guide. He asks for 5 silver pieces, I am sure a price higher then normal - but I figure if it makes him happy, he will be much more loyal to us. We travel into the town and first take one of the floating coaches to the Church of the Silver Flame. When we arrive there Corven quickly goes to prayer while I speak to the priest of some private things. Six of Six, again, starts questioning people about the cost of boat guardsman, but also asks about the cost of guides. We find out that a child guide generally receives 1 silver per day. After speaking we head outside and Six walks to the boy and questions him about the actual costs of a guide. I inform Six that we made
a deal with the boy, and that we are honorbound to keep it - Six did not respond - I am sure he is not happy about it, but a deal is a deal.
From there we go to the ambassader section of Sharm where my three companions, all from Seer, speak to their representatives. I pity these people who no longer have a home to call their own, but am inspired by their staunch loyalty - an admirable quality I am sure. They ask some questions and from there we leave to go to House Denith.
When we arrive at the House we are escorted inside and meet with twin sisters who seem a bit dismayed that I and Corven do not work for the family. To help with my credentials, I mention my family lineage. They vaguely know of my fathers name, but they seem to have heard about the Battle of Grace. COrven informs them he is willing to work for the family, and I inform them that I would work for the family as long as the cause was just and good. They tell us that they we should return on the 'morrow for our orders. They would also, apparantly, like to practice combat skills with me in some future point.
After exiting House Denieth, we relize that we are all famished from our travels. We head to a local restaurant, one that is concealed behind a bigger building. Nameless makes comments how this place must be the hiding spot for the rich, as it seems very quaint but the menu is both rich in flavor and variety - Nameless even got to eat some tenticles! We informed our expensive guide, Bodo, that he may join us for lunch and he seems very ecstatic. He eats more then ever, and that is fine with me. We talk about issues at hand and our next plans of action. I suggest that we head to the wizards guild and then to find an inn.
When we arrive at the Wizards guild, Nameless opens the doorway for us with one of his spells. I would wager getting in would be hard without his magical aptitude. We are greated by a secretary who seems very friendly. She summons one of the wizard members who takes us to his private study. I ask him about Kizmet, my fathers holy avenger. He reads the lines on the sword and does some tests. He informs me that while Kizmet was once a great and powerful sword, it is not longer such, but it seems like an item that will gain in power as it becomes more attuned to its wielder. It also seems to be a heritage sword bound to a certain line. This sword did belong to my grandfather, then to my father, and now to me so this would seem to make sense. The wizard kindly informs me that until it becomes magical again, it is susceptable to all the damage of a non-magical weapon. I keep that in mind - I would hate for such an heirloom to break, though I would definitly have it reforged!
We leave to go to the inn, where we tell Bodo that we could use his services in the morning again. We tell him, however, we will only pay 2 silver plus food per day. He seems a bit dismayed, but quickly realizes that we are paying him more then he would normally make and the deal we are offering is very good for him. I think, I will find out if he has a place to call his own. If the poor child is living on the street, it would be right of us to house him. Eventually, if we stay in Sharn long enough, we will need to purchase a home, and to have someone take care of it for us while we are on our travels would not be bad.
Upon morning, we wake up and get ready. When leaving, we see that Bodo is outside and waiting for us. I am sure he came early so we wouldn't leave without him. We head back to House Deneith and are greeted by the clerk of the house. He informs us of what the house needs...apparantly in the lower levels of the city, in a place called lower Dura there was a rich merchant who was on business and got himself in a bit of trouble. I do not know what this business was, but the clerk seemed a bit fishy about it. I was not going to question him further as he probably does not know all of the details, and once we reach the bottom I could determine what was going on.
We left the house, with a map, and proceeded to the entrance, Bodo showing us where this place is - though I will not let him follow us in the lower areas as it would be too dangerous.
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
Session 1 - Introduction to Sharn
* The PCs are traveling to Sharn (from Trolanport in Zilargo) on a sailing ship called the Wild Duck, having worked out a deal with Captain Vail that they will pay half fares and receive food in return for working as guards. When close to the Hilt, the wide bay at the mouth of the Dagger River that Sharn sits on, the ship is attacked before dawn by sahuagin, who use grappling hooks to board the ship. The PCs kill half a dozen, including a particularly tough one with a masterwork trident, before the rest flee. Only one of the other guards on the ship is killed in the attack.
* Continuing on, the Wild Duck enters the Hilt, passing fortresses on either side. Nearing the cliffs Sharn stands on, the ship passes a boat town at the edge of the docks consisting of rafts, houseboats & other craft connected by a web of piers, gangplanks and rope bridges (called Ship's Towers, one of the two waterfront districts). Passing Ship's Towers and the slum area behind it, consisting of a cliff face with cave openings in it and small hovels around them (Mud Caves), the ship continues north, attracting a small swarm (couple dozen) of tiny dragons, iridescent white in color, called spiretop dragons.
* Ship continues north to a larger dock section (Grayflood). Guided by smaller boats to dock. As PCs are leaving, Captain Vail welcomes them to travel with him any time and says he will probably be in Sharn for a week. PCs disembark, to be met by a waiting group, first by some (from the Wharf Watch) asking what items they are transporting and asking for identification. When they discover the PCs are foreigners, pass them on to others in the group (from the Guardians of the Gate). They ask the PCs about their business in the city and tell them the Guardians will help as needed (HQ is in Black Arch district, in Lower Tavick's Landing). They pay particular attention to Gareth and Corven as Deneith people and tell them that the main Deneith enclave is in Dragon Towers (Middle Central Plateau). Also tell the Cyran PCs that there are many Cyrans in the High Walls area (Lower Tavick's Landing) and that the Cyran embassy is in Ambassador Tower (Middle Central).
* PCs continue into Grayflood. Meet youngsters clamoring to guide them into city and accept one called Bodo as guide. Bodo gets them a skycoach and they fly to Middle Central Plateau.
* Traveling around Middle Central, the PCs stop in turn at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame (Sovereign Towers district), the Cyran embassy (Ambassador Towers) and the Deneith enclave (Dragon Towers). At the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame, Gareth speaks to an acolyte (named Golar) about the Cathedral, learning that it is run by Archieropant Ythana Morr, a powerful cleric of the Silver Flame. At the Cyran embassy, Corven asks whether any of his family (ir'Lanya) survived and are in Sharn/Breland, and is told that the clerk will look into it and let him know if he returns the next day. At the Deneith enclave the PCs speak to a pair of female twins called Lalia and Tasra d'Deneith, who are both Sentinel Marshals. Lalia doesn't seem impressed by Corven and Gareth not working for the house but is eventually persuaded to try to find any freelance/mercenary work for them (and mentions that there is some problem in the Cogs that may need looking into). 6 of 6 keeps asking people how much a boat guard makes, while Nameless is talking to his rock!
* The PCs walk to Middle Dura (seeing a falling man get saved by a feather fall spell on the way) and up to the Clifftop district of Upper Dura. Bodo takes them to a small but very good restaurant called Kavv's, which serves Xen'drik food, run by a husband & wife pair (Saza and Taji Kavv) from Stormreach. After the meal, the PCs visit the Esoteric Order of Aureon and Gareth speaks to a sage called Harned about his sword, learning that it may have latent powers that will reveal themselves in time.
* Heading down to Middle Dura and the inn district of Underlook, the PCs find an average inn called the Healthy Harvest (innkeeper named Palk) and get rooms, and send Bodo off with instructions to return the next day. After wandering around the area a bit, they pack up for the night.
* The next morning, they get up to find Bodo waiting and head off to the Deneith enclave, where a clerk tells them that there is a commission for them. People have been disappearing from lower Dura, mostly vagrants but recently a rich merchant down there on "personal" business. Some members of the City Council have authorized an investigation and the PCs are asked to go check out the area and report back with any discoveries they make. They are provided with a map and directions.
Session 2 - Things that go "bump, gibber, gibber, smack, slash, aaargh!" in the night
* The PCs are told that the missing merchant was using the alias Durij and was probably in the Silvermist dream parlor, a place that uses illusions to entertain. It is suggested that they ask around about any more recent disappearances (Durij disappeared over a week ago) and are told of a nearby bar/inn called the Cracked Mirror, where information might be available. They are given directions to an abandoned access shaft leading down to the Cogs nearby, which House Deneith just found out about, and which may have been used by the miscreants. A little persuasion gets the clerk to say that the merchant was possibly down there for illegal reasons.
* Heading down to Lower Dura and the Callestan district, the PCs find that it is a very seedy inn district, with a large shifter population. They first visit the Silvermist parlor, where a woman named Jix (probably the manager) gives them some information about Durij being a regular customer and a description (red hair and beard), which Six makes a drawing of. Nameless gives her some money & asks her to find out any information that she can.
* Deciding to skip the inn, the PCs are accosted while passing near it by a young shifter who tries to pick a fight with Gareth ("damn Flamer!"). Gareth puts a bit of a scare in him and he calls for help to someone called Gorlick, who emerges from the Cracked Mirror, turning out to be a much bigger, tougher-looking shifter. The latter is more irritated than belligerent and the PCs diplomatically talk him into having a drink with him. The PCs buy drinks for everyone at the bar (which has a large number of shifters and at least two evident changelings), quickly becoming more popular - esp. with Bodo, who sneaks two drinks before Gareth notices. Gorlick, apparently known locally as Redtooth, seems quite friendly, and much more so than the younger shifter (his brother Arian). Upon inquiry, the PCs discover that an old beggar disappeared a couple days before. They are told that violence and disappearances are common in Lower Dura.
* Leaving the inn, they find the garbage dump that hides the old access shaft and tell Bodo to return to their inn, the Happy Harvest. Once he leaves, they open and enter the shaft. They find that it is old and rubble-strewn from parts that have collapsed, but usable, angling down underground. After searching the entrance area, find a smear of dried blood and some grayish slime. Corven examines it and says that it came from a live person and that it is mixed as if the wound was caused by a slime-coated weapon.
* Continuing on, they travel for about a mile, passing areas where vertical shafts open into it from far above and getting closer to the rumbling and heat of the Cogs. Eventually, they emerge at one side of a large cavern, which is split in two by lava pools and streams, with a stone bridge crossing it. Reaching the bridge, they talk to a couple of guards and carters driving wagons across the bridge. They find no information about disappearances but do hear rumors about violence against warforged in one of the other areas. They are also told about the two other Cogs areas besides Ashblack (the industrial district where they are) - Blackbones (also industrial, but with a greater warforged population) and Khyber's Gate (apparently full of strange creatures which can't exist on the surface of Sharn). They are also told about some of the criminal elements in Sharn, esp. the Boromar clan of halflings who used to dominate its underworld and the new group called Daask, consisting of monstrous creatures (many of whom live in Khyber's Gate).
* Before leaving, they cross the bridge and find a large cavern where people live and work. They see a dwarf overseer called Berek yelling at and punishing some warforged. He seems irritated at the interruption & says he has no idea about the disappearances but does confirm he heard about a warforged being found dead. He seems to view the warforged as tools, asking if Six is for sale.
* Leaving the area, they head back into the access tunnel. When halfway to the surface, they hear a loud crashing sound from a shaft above them and get out of the way, just before a dead warforged falls out. Someone has cut off its hands, scorched it badly and bashed in its side, chest and head. A strange raised metal section on its left forearm looks like someone cut something off it and its battered mouth has stylized fangs. Corven examines it and says that it was killed only minutes ago and that the head blow (probably from a mace or flail) killed it. Six rigs up a rope to it and drags it behind him.
* When they are about a minute from the opening, some of the PCs hear the sounds of movement up ahead. Multiple people begin to shoot at them from out of the darkness ahead and they engage in battle. The enemies turn out to be a combination of aberrations (which Nameless identifies), consisting of a dolgaunt (a large, pale creature with no eyes and two long tentacles), half a dozen dolgrim (squat, four-armed creatures with two heads squeezed into one) and two chokers (like hairless, naked halflings with long tentacular arms). Nameless catches most of the creatures in one place with a web spell and incapacitates some of the dolgrim with sleep. Two of the dolgrim turn out to be spellcasters, but do little damage, other than confusing Six for a bit. Despite taking some significant damage, Gareth cuts the dolgaunt in half and dispatches many of the others with Six's help. After having used some spells, Nameless is attacked by one of the chokers that sneaks up on him climbing along the ceiling, which knocks him down, chokes him, bashes his head against the floor and renders him unconscious. Corven has a very hard time using his wands and settles for attacking the choker with a mace. Finally, all the creatures are killed, except for one sleeping dolgrim, which is tied up. The last to fall is a dolgrim which manages to get to what is probably a secret door and trying to open it, when a screaming figure charges it and stabs it through the ear*. The attacker turns out to be Bodo, who is then scolded by Gareth for disobeying orders, given one of the dolgrims' shield and morningstar and sent off again.
* After the requisite healing, the PCs open the secret door and pass through, finding a tunnel running parallel to the shat beyond it. Continuing along it, they hear a weird gibbering up ahead, which mentally affects Six, causing him to attack and wound Gareth. The gibbering turns out to come from a weird ooze-like creature that perpetually grows dozens of mouths and eyes, which Nameless identifies as a gibbering mouther. The PCs have a difficult fight, partly because of the weird creature's resistance to their non-bludgeoning weapons, and partly because of its multiple abilities. It spits acid at them (blinding Six right after he comes out of the confusion), bites at and fastens onto them with multiple (albeit weak) mouths and tries to drag them down. Nameless uses his last web to keep it held in one place and summons a fiendish wolf, which is forced to flee due to the gibbering. Gareth is bitten, grabbed, engulfed, and has a substantial amount of blood sucked out of him, only surviving due to his divine vigor and the one time Corven manages to heal him with a wand. Six is comparatively much less damaged, being distracted by the confusion and momentary blindness. Corven is still unable to use** his wands other than the one time and disgustedly gives one to Nameless, who blasts the creature with scorching rays from it till the mouther dies.
* Wounded, tired and low on resources, the group heads back to the surface, taking the dead warforged and the dolgrim (which they knock out) with them. Getting a cart to put their 'trophies' on, they quickly draw a crowd as they head towards the higher levels and are stopped by a guard patrol before even reaching Middle Dura. They have to wait till their claim of being on a job for House Deneith is verified and a skycoach is obtained to quickly transport them to Middle Central. Reaching Dragon Towers and the Deneith enclave, they are met by a number of guards and Lalia d'Deneith. She has the warforged and dolgrim taken away and finds out everything that has occurred. She thanks the group and tells them to return to their inn and rest, promising that a reward will be sent to them.
* Natural 20 plus 20 to confirm!
** At least a dozen rolls below 10 during the two fights.
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
After we were relayed our mission from House Deneith we checked our inventory and made sure we were ready to head down to the Cogs. We would first need to head through the poorer areas of Sharn, which we were warned of. Our young guide, Bodo, keeps asking to join us - but I must be adamant that he not enter the Cogs with us...I am uncomfortable as it is having him around us when we go into the slums.
We take a sky cab down to the slums, and then head to a bar called the "Silvermist Parlor". This place apparantly offers fantasy services via the Changelings who use their abilities to changeshape. I cannot say that I would partake of these services, but as long as nobody is getting hurt then it is OK. We meet a person, Jix, working in this bar who happens to be the manager. We speak in private, and with Nameless' help are able to convince the manager we mean him no harm. Once the conversation gets underway, however, it became a game of subterfuge and subtleties. Everyone was speaking "if I knew this person and if I was inclinde to speak..." which is very frustrating, very slow, and if meant to throw would-be-spies off if they were scrying us - very ineffective. Finally I cannot bear it anymore and I inform Jix to just stop with the silly rants and to tell us what he knows about this Durij fellow - to be forthcoming. I inform him we do not have the answers, and we do not know many of the answers. Jix finally informs us of some things, including a description, and Nameless gives him a bag full of gold for any extra information.
We make our way to the Cogs and become accousted by a Changeling who I noticed loitering near another bar. He attempted to insult me by calling me "Flamer". He does not realize that I am above such petty insults, and that it would take a lot more then unoriginal name-calling to get me to raise an eyebrow. I, however, decided it would be best to be diplomatic about it- these poor folks have suffered under some factions of the Silver Flame's church, and I can understand, if not condone, their greif. I explain to the person that I appologize for past wrongs, and that we mean him and his kind no ill-will. I turn around and begin to continue walking, letting my companions know that everything is OK. This changling continues to follow us getting very close, and starts calling me more names. These petty insults do not bother me, but his proximity to me does. I turn around, I apparantly am much taller then this person, and inform him that we mean him no harm - and he does not want to fight me. He seems a little bit scared, but apparantly not scared enough. He starts calling to his friends, and a crowd draws near - something I did not want. I wish people would call the law instead - I would much prefer a fight not arise - where many innocents might get hurt.
A few seconds later and a big Changeling, by the name of Gorlick appears from the bar carrying a huge axe. He swaggers up and asks what is going on. I inform him that we mean nobody no harm and are just trying to pass through. The smaller Changeling informs the larger that we threatened him, and Nameless pipes in saying that we were not threatening him - just wondering if he had a wish to live a shorter life. Nameless and me then start mock arguing with each other which throws the larger Changeling off, and 6 of 6 then enters the conversation, with a surprisingly witty ploy and starts asking the larger Changeling if he has seen a person, and shows him a picture that he drew earlier. The larger Changeling being totally taken aback with this turns to his little friend and starts harassing him. The larger Changeling invites us into the bar and says he will help us out if we buy him a drink.
We enter the bar and the crowd turns to see Gorlick, which is no surprise to them...then when they see me they are taken aback. The bar quiets down and I get a lot of evil stares, and I would venture that at least 90% don't want me there, 10% are wondering what would drive one such as me to enter the bar, and everyone probably taking bets to see if I make it out alive.
Nameless asks how much it would cost to buy the bar a round of drinks, 1 silver, and I immediately slap down 1 gold coin and inform the bar tender to keep everyone here fed and drunk until the gold coin runs out. I normally do not like to steals someones thunder, and good idea, but I think I need to raise my popularity with these people a little more then Nameless. Everyone is surprised, but they are happy and they cheer...then after cheering, they realized what they did and they seem to be going through some kind of apoplexi---they just cheered for a "Flamer".
We speak with the Gorlick, and we found out the other Changelings name is "Arian" who is his brother. We find out a bit of information with what is going on in this area. We even talk about what has happend in the past, especially with the Silver Flame church persecuting Changelings. I am asked if I know the church in Sharn and say that I have been there once...I am also told that the head priest there had his share of harassing these people. I inform them that I will have words with the priest. On a side note, if the priest did act out of line, I will have to impose justice on him. There is no excuse for this corruption which is does nothing but to hinder the church. I wonder why the Silver Flame & Tira Miron do not do something about this corruption. I am also told that maybe I should not walk around with my holy symbols, and I inform our new friend that I am proud of who and what I am and that I would not hide this fact. I am given an appreciative nod of approval. We part on good terms, and maybe I will be able to count this man as my friend one day.
Heading to the warhouse we search for the hidden entrance and find one. We tell Bodo that he must head back to the house and he bemoans that he should get to join us. I tell him a lie, something I loathe to do but realize is necessary at times, that we are waiting for a message at the inn and he should wait there to receive it for us. After a bit of argument he agrees.
We head into the Cogs and make our way down the corridor. It is nice to have these magical lights. I see, however, that 6of6 got a light made to attach to a head-lamp - sort of like what miners use. I will have to have one made as it will help keep my hands free and provide light to whatever direction I am looking. We follow the path for a while and I do notice things are getting warmer.
Finally we reach an opening and we see lava flows to our sides. We also see a bunch of humanoids at a bridge and we walk over to them. It is apparantly a merchant cart with his gaurds. We ask about our target and they tell us they do not know who we are speaking of. We are told to go see a dwarf nearby who is "twice as wide as he is tall"
We follow the directions and find this dwarf -Berek-, who does apparantly fit those dimensions. He is surrounded by an umber of War Forged, which 6 of 6 tries to speak to. Something seems a bit different about these War Forged, maybe they were earlier models and do not have a soul like 6 of 6. Maybe they are just constructs. The dwarf seems to mistreat his War Forged and 6 of 6 gets offended and starts scoulding the dwarf - who ignores him. 6 of 6's voice also seems to get distorted and he seems to be speaking in a funny, choppy tone - maybe this heat is not good for him?
We leave the dwarf and start heading back through the tunnels - with no information - and we suddenly hear a loud clanking sound and move just out of the way - of a falling War Forged. This one seems to be dead and it appears that it wasn't due to the fall. Something killed this War Forged, a large model, and throw him down one of the shafts. 6 of 6 straps him to his back and starts hauling him back with us.
As we make our way we encounter these aberrations - about Dolgrim and one Dolgaunt. I have heard of them before, and Nameless informs us they are resistant to our weapons by a significant amount. Some of the Dolgrim were spellcasters and managed to confuse 6 of 6, but it quickly wore off. Nameless then proceeds to cast a spell of web and sleep on those monsters holding them firmly in place. I cast another healing spell on myself, while Corven tries to heal me - but his wand still will not work. He simply must learn how to use it if he plans on being effective. 6 of 6 breaks out of his confusion and charges up with me - I tell him that I need him to stand up in the front ranks behind me as I cannot take all the hits on my own. He likes to use his spiked chain at a distance, but this leaves me vulnerable.
Hanging on the ceiling is a halfing sized version of one of these creatures and it tries to latch on to me, and almost succeeds. I try to walk up to it but am too busy to deal with the other creatures. This small creature then strides over to Nameless and proceeds to beat on him. Corven is still trying to heal me, and 6 of 6 is helping me bash through the monsters. The larger creature in the back is using its tentacles to attack me from a distance.
Finally the front rank is destroyed and we are left with the two in the back and the Dolgaunt. I walk up to it - stepping into the web- and calling on the power of the Silver Flame I smite it a powerful blow. It reels from the hit and I am no longer plauged by its hideousness. I proceed to turn around and beat on it's former friends slaying them with my fathers sword, Kizmet. At this point 6 of 6 and Corven run to help out Nameless who fell due to the hits of the halfing sized Dolgrim. 6 of 6 dispatches him as Corven heals Nameless. 6 of 6, in a quick move runs after one of the Dolgrim that tries to get away - but we hear the creature scream. Apparantly Bodo followed us in here. He hit the creature pretty well, but I scold him for not obeying my orders. I inform him, that not listening to me would mean we would no longer need his services and he would not be welcome to join us. We hand him some leather armour and a small sword from one of the creatures. I then instruct him to head back to the inn, and I give him a no-nonsense look. I heal the group members, as well as myself, and Corven also lends a hand with his wand. We find a few magical items which we cannot tell what they are. I stow them away in my bag for safe keeping in case they are magical.
We kill the rest of the sleeping Dolgrim with the exception of one which we beat into submission until it passes out. We tie it up and head through the secret doors the monsters came from. We then see a big amorpheous creature, Nameless says he is called a "Giberring Mouther". I raise Kizmet to the sky and call upon the power of the Silver Flame, infusing me with faster movement and greater health. The creature confuses Six of Six and he turns and hits me with his spiked chain. I cast a healing spell on myself, and ask Corven to heal me - and he still has problems with his wand, although he assured me he fixed the problem!!! Six of Six breaks out of the confusion. Six of Six and me step up to attack the Gibbering Mouther and it seems to spit acid at our eyes. It hits me in the face but does not affect me, while Six of Six becomes blinded. He tries to back out of the fight but runs into Corven - he then keeps repeating "Please move side, please move aside." I do not know what is wrong with Six of Six, he is starting to sound more and more like a construct which is quite disconcerting. Nameless summons a web on this creature, holding it in place, and then brings about a fiendish wolf. On a side note, I wish that Nameless would not summon such evil creatures. Bringing such a creature into existance can simply do no good in the long run. The problem with working with evil, is that eventually it corrupts and consumes.
We continue to trade hits with this creature - which seems partially immune to our weapons. Finally Six of Six is able to regain his sight and steps away from the creature - leaving me to fight it alone...it attacks me, grabs me and sucks me into it's insides. I thought I would not survive and that I stood no chance of escaping the insides of this creature, as it kept biting me over and over and over again. It's stomach acides burning me and I could do nothing to strike it! I was not only getting injured but was feeling weak that my health was failing me. With the Divine Grace of the Silver Flame I strived for one last bit of energy and clawed my way out, one step at a time, fighting against its tentacles when I finally broke out of the belly of the beast. Covered in it's slime, I stand up, and see that Nameless has Corven's fire wand. He is using it effectively and Corven is still failing at healing me. Six of Six and I start to beat on this creature, and finally Nameless is able to take him out with
the fire wand.
We gather some evidence, and Corven scoops up some of the body fluid of this creature. Six of Six wanted to continue forward, but I informed him that I was in no condition to proceed, and Nameless said he was dry of his spells. Six of Six looked disappointed, but I will not take anymore chances at this juncture...whatever happend that creature seemed to drain the life from me. Nameless assures me that it will pass in a day.
We continue our way back to town, now with a dead War Forged, a Dolgrim prisoner, and the head of a Dolgaunt. To say the least, we scare many folks. We find a person with an old beat-up cart and I offer him some money for his cart, which he takes - from the floor - after we leave. We are bloodstained, and weary and then we encounter town guards. My patience for them is small - for one, they impugn on my honor when I tell them of my mission - they do not believe me. Then they force us to wait for an interminable amount of time while they run along to speak with the members of House Deneith. After a bit we receive word to be escorted to House Deneith and we hop on an air cab. The poor driver's face was agahst when he saw the contents of our cart.
We arrive at House Deneith and I see one of the twin sisters, Lalia d'Deneith. She is surprised to see us in the condition that we are in, but I think she is surprised that we even made it back alive. We tell her of our encounters and she takes the prisoner and dead War Forged body. She informs us that there may be a continuation to this mission if need be, and that she will send us word and payment to the inn. She also informed us that she will speak with the town guard so they will give us more leeway and respect since we can be more trusted. I thank her for her help and trust then we part ways.
Heading back to the inn I think of some of the things that must be done. First we may need to find permenant residence if we plan on staying in this area for long. I think Bodo might do well to stick with us, but he must first learn how to listen. I also want to get this kid off the street - get him some education, dicipline and show him the silver light of the Flame. I think the next thing I must do, maybe the first thing in the morning when I am feeling better, is to head to the church of the Silver Flame and find out why I have been hearing the priest is mistreating Changelings and Shifters in Lower Dura and Callestan.
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
Session 3 - Not So Alone in the Dark
* Back at the inn, the group finds Bodo (excited about his new leather armor and morningstar) waiting for them. Gareth arranges for Bodo to be allowed to share a room with them. While the other three get a bath and cleaned up, Nameless visits the Esoteric Order and tries to use their facilities, but is told that he needs to be a member of the Order. He then gets Bodo to take him back down to Callestan, where a little greasing of remarkably dirty palms allows him use of a kitchen in a ramshackle inn. There, he cooks the brains and one of the tentacles from the dolgaunt and actually manages to eat a bit without killing himself (watching which does cause Bodo to almost lose his lunch and leave).
* While Six works on a sculpture of the city, Gareth and Corven revisit the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame, where Gareth talks to the acolyte Golar and sets up an appointment with the Archierophant. Returning to the inn, they find Nameless back too. Shortly afterwards, a House Orien courier brings them an envelope from House Deneith, which holds a note that reads:
According to the dolgrim (and we believe this is not a lie), the creatures were brought by the dolgaunt to work for a cult of humans in the Khyber's Gate area. The creature had little other information. We have arranged to have guards placed over the access shaft to prevent anyone entering or leaving. It would be a good idea if you continued into the Cogs through the secret tunnel you discovered and investigated. Once you return, the access shaft will be sealed. Thank you for your efforts in this matter.
Lalia d'Deneith
There is also a banknote drawn on the House Kundarak bank for 500 galifars. Gareth sends a message back to Lalia saying that they will continue their investigations the next day. The group heads to the small branch of the bank in the Clifftop district and open accounts for all of themselves, as well as a group account. Afterwards, the group returns to the inn for dinner and packs up for the night (other than Six and his sculpture), but not before Corven uses his artificer abilities to treat Gareth's weakness from a loss of blood to the gibbering mouther.
* The next day, after a leisurely morning and lunch, Gareth and Corven return to the Cathedral. They spend some time there before their appointment and Gareth detects evil in a passing acolyte and speaks to him. The young man, Kieran, claims to be a member of the Cathedral for the last three years and sounds like a devout follower of the Flame. Gareth especially asks him about the shifters in Lower Dura and learns that there is still a great deal of animosity towards the Silver Flame. There are, however, some shifters in the congregation. After having spoken to Kieran, the two are taken by Golar to meet the Archierophant, Ythana Morr. She turns out to be a tall, serious-looking woman with silvery-gray hair surrounding an unlined face, dressed in ceremonial vestments and full-plate armor even while working at her desk. She asks the pair what they are doing in Sharn, discusses a little bit about the Cathedral's connections with Thrane, mentions the upcoming 700th anniversary of the Silver Flame next year, etc. When asked about the shifters, she acknowledges the existing animosity, putting it down to shortsightedness on the part of the shifters, and also reveals that all of the shifters in their congregation are from more affluent areas of Sharn. She is also interested in the events in the Cogs and asks the pair to keep her acquainted with what they discover, in case the Cathedral can aid in some worthy task, though she does warn that the bowels of Sharn cannot be easily cleansed short of sending in an army. Lastly, she asks both of them if they are willing to work for the greater good of the Flame in Sharn. Corven and Gareth both agree and ask her to let them know if their services are ever needed. She thanks the pair and asks them to return to the Cathedral at any point, saying that there are morning and evening services.
* Leaving the Cathedral, Corven and Gareth join the others and head down to Callestan, this time leaving a reluctant Bodo behind. They find some men guarding the access shaft discreetly and are informed that they have twenty-four hours to return before they shaft will be sealed. Entering the shaft they find the dead bodies where they left them and head into the secret tunnel, passing the dead mouther's corpse to find a pair of rooms a little distance beyond.
* The two rooms, which contain little other than crude furniture and a fire-pit, seem to have been abandoned in a hurry. Nameless deciphers (but doesn't bother to translate for the others) some scrawls on the wall and finds that they refer to the daelkyr and a hoped-for conquest of Eberron. There is also a reference to some tunnel leading from light into dark and releasing the darkness. Corven, in the other room, finds a sliding compartment leading to a crawl space that contains a strange-looking sack with bloody smears on it. Investigation reveals that it is actually what remains of a human being who has literally been sucked dry, consisting only of bones and some organs inside the outer skin. While Corven and Gareth are investigating this, Six enters and catches a glimpse (reflected in a mirror on the wall) of an invisible form standing behind Gareth. His warning causes everyone to try to detect the creature in different ways, but all they get are slight indications that they are not alone, including a split second evil trace or a gray shadow whisking by in the mirror. When Corven attempts to examine the mirror, it suddenly turns dead gray and then displays an eye (that instantly expands to fill the entire mirror), before exploding outwards. After the cut and bleeding Corven is healed, he infuses a see invisibility spell and uses it to discover that the two rooms are filled from top to bottom with invisible (perhaps ethereal) webs that exist on another dimension, since they do not physically affect the group.
* Leaving the rooms, the group continues into a tunnel on the far side. Traveling for a while as the tunnel winds deeper and lower, they come to an area where small holes pierce the tunnel on various sides. They hear sounds of footsteps ahead but see no sign of anything. Eventually, as they continue, a patch of darkness emerges from a hole, with a strange-looking creature in the center, which Nameless identifies as a rare species called the orred. It is about three feet tall, pale gray in color and roughly humanoid-shaped, with two short and flabby-looking arms and legs, but without a head. Instead, it has two bulbous eyes and a round, lipless mouth surrounded by five greenish spikes protruding from its abdomen. Longer, bony spikes cover its body, especially its arms. The creature attacks by shooting one of the green spikes, which hits Six and instantly turns into a poisonous liquid, which he is of course immune to. While the group focuses on it, another orred attacks from the rear, unleashing a cacophony of sound from its mouth that hurts everyone and stuns Nameless. During the ensuing fight, the group manages to kill the first one, but not before they have all been further wounded with another blast of sound, a stunned Nameless has been shot and knocked unconscious, and Corven has been poisoned and weakened by one of the flying spines. The second orred flees into a hole.
* Continuing onwards, the group passes an area where the tunnel splits into three. The tunnel they are in finally ends above another one that crosses theirs at right angles. Climbing down, they head along the tunnel & eventually stop at a large door. While Six is checking the door, he hears heavy footsteps on the other side and the door opens to reveal a large, elderly ogre. It seems quite surprised and asks them not to hurt it. Beyond it, they can see a street of some kind and hear voices - in various languages - nearby, including some raised in argument. The ogre, who says he is Urka, reveals that they have reached Khyber's Gate and says that he has seen no sign of the creatures they describe. While the discussion is going on and as Nameless suggest they leave, the ogre looks down the street and quickly backs away, revealing more of the street, which has a few buildings and shops on it, and various races nearby, such as an elven cobbler and a couple of goblins. The ogre is replaced by a pair of well-armed gnolls. They ask what the group wants and though the adventurers try to leave, they attack. The two gnolls are joined by three more, two of whom are archers. During the fight Corven, as now seems to be the usual, has a hard time getting his scorching ray wand to work* and gets Nameless to use it more successfully after the latter has summoned a celestial wolf to trip the leader and cast his requisite web to snare some gnolls. Corven does, however, manage to infuse a spell in time to keep Gareth (who takes a serious blow from the gnoll leader's ranseur to start the fight) on his feet longer and stop him from bleeding to death when the paladin is eventually cut down, and also enchants Six's chain - while he is actually using it - so that he can do massive damage** to the gnolls. During the fight, they also hear the sounds of more fighting nearby.
* After the gnolls are dead, while the others revive Gareth and check the bodies, Six discovers that the fight nearby was between a sixth gnoll and a wererat (who just killed it). Six makes sure Gareth stays in the tunnel till the lycanthrope transforms back into a human. He says he is called Daim and thanks Six for their help, saying that the gnolls were bothering him when they arrived and provided a distraction. Daim also mentions that the gnolls belonged to the Daask gang and that there will be serious trouble soon. Hearing voices raised in alarm in the distance, including a couple that sound like they come from large creatures, and seeing goblins and others watching from the shadows where they retreated from the fight, the adventurers grab whatever they can from the bodies and retreat into the tunnel.
* rolled worse than a 5 on at least 4 occasions
** bane enchantment + two criticals = ouch!
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
When we head back to the inn, we get cleaned up and get some food. Nameless heads off with Bodo in search of a kitchen that will let him cook his concoction. While we are eating, Bodo arrives back looking a little sick and describes his horrid experience.
I decide at this point that I should head to the Church of the Silver Flame, and Corven comes with me. At the Church, we encounter an acolyte who we speak with for a couple of minutes. He sets an appointment for us with the archeirophant. On our way out we encounter another cleric, one who I detected as evil. I had to hold off the urge to smite him where he stood - as one such as this should not be free to walk in this temple - let alone disguised as a cleric. I do realize, however, that the Church is corrupt and my time to cleanse it will be soon, but not right now. I question him, subtlety, trying to create a relation with him. I do not think he will be so foolish as to tell me anything bad that he has done, but if I gain his confidence, eventually he will.
Before going to sleep, Nameless and Corven realize that I will need some advanced healing or my health will not be restored for a number of days. We dare not waste time, so Corven is able to use his obscure skills to make a scroll that will heal my health. I am wary about his skills, which do not always work - and in the past I have seen it backfire on him, but he assures me there is nothing to worry about - I say a small prayer to the Silver Flame.
After being healed, we receive a missive from Lalia from House Deneith. They offer us a bank note, for 500 gold pieces which is very generous. They also ask us to continue further into the hidden area of the Cogs to find out the root of this evil and, with the Silver Flame's blessing, squelch this evil.
We head to the local bank and open up several accounts. One for each of us to store our money safely, and one group account - which we place 70 gold pieces into it. This account will help serve to buy group supplies. We then proceed to a local wizards store and purchase some scrolls to give to Nameless. These are scrolls of grease, which I am told will help in case a creature tries to grapple us in a fight - as well as make it so creature slip and fall. Very ingenious.
Corven, Bodo and me then head to the Church of the Silver Flame to meet with the archeirophant. We speak of various ecclesiastic matters which include the people in Lower Dura. According to the archeirophant, the Church has offered a hand but the people down there refuse to accept. I find this hard to believe as they were very receptive of me once I offered a gesture of good faith. Again, this will take more probing, as things are not solved in a day. The archeirophant asks if she can rely on Corven and my help in the future, if the need arises. I, obviously, inform her that I serve any just cause the Silver Flame asks me of. I just hope the church corruption has not reached the archeirophant.
After this, we meet up with the rest of the group and head back down to the Cogs. We encounter a couple of guards which are expecting us and let us go down. We pass by the dead bodies of the monsters we encountered.
<Faulty Memory>
We happen upon a door which leads us into an old room. We begin to search this room which has a fire pit, and an adjoining door. We do not find much, Nameless starts reading some information, while I continually keep vigil of the room - scanning it for evil. Corven enters the other room, and follow him. I must remind our group that wandering alone is not a safe thing to do. There are four of us, so we should always be in teams of at least two. Corven finds a weird looking sack which drops some dried up organs of what was once a humanoid of some sort. Six of Six walks in and says there is something over my head, which I quickly turn around holding my sword at the ready. I do not see anything and M66 says he saw it in the mirror. I begin to scan the room for evil, and eventually to the right of the mirror I detect an evil presence. As soon as I begin to get a read on it, however, it disappears. I continue to search the room for this evil - putting my back to the wall so I have a better vantage point.
I must show Corven and Namless a trick utilizing the magic detection spell to find invisible creatures. While not grossly accurate - it is a simple spell that has the ability to find any magic including the invisibility spell. Corven then walks up to inspect it, while the rest of us keep vigil. The mirror suddenly turns grey, and a huge eye grows - the mirror explodes and Corven takes some damage from the flying shards. We heal Corven and he then creates a see invisible spell. He tells us that both rooms are full of ethereal webs from ceiling to floor. I cannot say that I am happy about this, and the group decides that it is time we depart. These webs are not hindering us, so they could potentially exist on another plane. We will have to investigate this room when we have better access to other planes of existences.
</Faulty Memory>
We then continue down the corridor until we find an area full of smoothly bored holes. A couple of creatures, named Orred, pop out of the ground and start attacking us. They seem to shoot these poisonous spines, but this has no effect on Six of Six who is immune to such things. Then, one of the other Orreds makes this loud screeching sound which is able to stun Nameless. It hurts a little bit, but I am able to shrug off the effects. The Silver Flame has blessed me with many abilities, and some of those help me resist such effects. We are able to kill one of these Orred, but the other one runs through the hole. In an attempt to kill it, and hopefully stop it from harming other creatures, I pour in a bottle of acid into the hole. It does screech, but I hear it scurrying off. Apparently, the acid was not enough to kill it. After composing ourselves, I notice that Corven is poisoned. We have no ways of magically healing him, but we try and bandage his wounds and get as much of the poison out as possible. Then, some of our number collects the poison spikes to save for later use. I cannot say that I would be proud to use such poisons, but I could see there cases of needing such tactics; especially if the goal is to subdue as opposed to killing.
After the battle, we heal up a bit, and continue down the path and come to a split. We take the right path and follow it until we get to a door. Having our equipment ready an ogre opens it up, and holds his hands up. We realize he means us no harm and start to question him. We have reached Khybers gate. Then a couple of gnolls appear and ask us what we are doing. Nameless informs them we got lost and were going to leave. The Gnolls do not seem to care and take a huge swing at me - slamming me hard. We proceed to engage them in combat, and I am quickly dropped by one of these creatures leaving me. I was told, that Corven in a desperate moment to save me was finally able to get his magical curing wands working and I am no longer dying. Corven then enchanted Six of Six's spiked chain making it more powerful against these creatures. Nameless proceeded to summon a monster, this time a celestial wolf (thank the Silver Flame) which was able to trip the gnoll leader. He then proceeded to cast another web spell. While this hinders us to get close to the creatures, it also prevents them from getting closer to us. A valuable tactic - and one that is well worth learning.
After this new battle the group brings me back up to health with a few uses of Corven's wand. I stand hidden behind a corner while Six of Six questions a were-creature. Apparently he was fighting some of these gnolls, and us being there helped him out. This creatures name is Daim and he was accosted by some gang members of the gang Daask. Personally, I would have liked to of met this Daim. I think to help improve relations between the Silver Flame and other creatures would be served well by showing them the good that we do, not hiding. Anonymity never helped anyone doing good.
We head back into the tunnel, closing the door behind us, to continue the opposite direction. Let us hope we can run into some more friendly creature in these foul pits.
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
Session 4 - How to Make Friends & Be Influenced By People
* Corven uses an infused hold portal on the door to cover the group's retreat and they head back towards the surface, hearing the sounds of pounding on the door behind them. After reaching and passing the area with the orred holes, they hear whistling ahead and round a corner to find a man sitting in the tunnel. He has a weathered appearance with a grizzled beard, and is dressed in well-worn traveler's robes, with a staff by his side. Greeting the group, he reveals that he is called Andon and dwells in or near Khyber's Gate, and says that he likes to wander the tunnels for a little solitude. He seems quite interested in what they are doing, and after being asked about the disappearances and Khyber's Gate, mentions that there is a tavern there called Shamukaar, which everyone treats as neutral ground. When Gareth asks if he can lead them there, he agrees, but the others point out that they are too low on resources to continue, so they ask him to meet them in the Broken Mirror inn in Callestan in three days time. Andon agrees and bids the group goodbye, warning them that he heard sounds of movement down the tunnels ahead.
* Continuing on, the group runs into a swarm of rats, many of them undead. The rats swarm over Gareth and Six, who are in the lead, doing substantial damage to both and with the noxious miasma that they emanate slightly weakening their minds. Gareth's attempts to blast the swarm with positive energy does little damage, as does Six's spiked chain, but the two warriors keep the swarm busy enough for Corven and Nameless to lob the recently-gained flasks of alchemist's fire and frost into the swarm, badly damaging it. Eventually, the swarm breaks up and flees, allowing the group to return through the two rooms (where the shards of the mirror and the writing on the walls is now missing). They stop while Corven picks up the skin-bag and puts it in a sack and Gareth checks for evil in the area, before returning to the surface.
* Leaving the access tunnel, they find that the people guarding the entrance will start closing it up soon. Going to the Deneith enclave they inform Lalia, who meets them, about what they discovered. Returning to the inn, they clean up and settle down to dinner, and are joined by Bodo, who says he went down to Grayflood to meet some of his friends. When they have just finished dinner, there is a commotion outside and the group investigates to find that some people were attacked and a fight took place at another inn a couple streets away, called the Moon's Rest. Watch guards turn them away at the door as they try to investigate, though one is grateful when Gareth heals his black eye.
* The next day, the adventurers meet and speak to various people. Going to the Clifftop Adventurers' Guild, they sell the weapons they recovered. They are also invited to join the Guild, told about some of the benefits and informed that the only requirements are 15 galifars each and sponsorship by five existing members. Hearing that guild-members may often be found at the Drunken Dragon tavern nearby, they go there and find it to boast a very good selection of drinks and have walls adorned with curios and items from across Khorvaire, especially Xen'drik. They meet three members of the adventuring guild (Narik - dwarf, Lothas - human, Valin - half-elf), who are happy to chat with them and apparently returned recently from Xen'drik, where they went on an expedition for Morgrave University.
* Afterwards, the three Cyran members of the group visit the Cyran embassy. There, they are taken to meet the ambassador, Lord Jairan ir'Dain. Jairan, a man with a graying beard and long hair tied back in a ponytail, dressed in rich robes gradually going threadbare, greets Corven and informs him that he is probably the only survivor of his immediate family and the inheritor of the ir'Lanya name. He suggests that they can have an investiture ceremony at the embassy, but Corven puts it off for the time being. Jairan also discusses the situation of Cyrans in the city and in New Cyre, far to the northeast of Breland, where Prince Oargev ir'Wynarn has created a settlement of Cyran survivors. He asks the group for their help with regard to the plight of Cyrans in Breland and says any financial contribution to the embassy will be appreciated. He mentions that many Cyrans live in the High Walls area, and that one of the primary figures is Cala Narain, a survivor from the military. After their discussion, he sends them to meet his aide Tyrala. Tyrala is a much younger, attractive-looking woman, accompanied by Holt, the ambassador's warforged bodyguard (whom Six - to his surprise - informs that he has a detailing service). Apparently very busy, Tyrala has a short talk with the group, informing them that she is sure that - as Cyrans - they will help in whatever way they can with the reclamation of the nation and its resources. At Corven's query about the Mournland, she says that she is very interested in discovering its cause and that sometimes the embassy funds expeditions into the Mournland. After having collected information about their location, she bids them goodbye. Gareth, meanwhile, takes Bodo to the Sharn Opera House to get the boy some culture, despite the latter's suggestions that a bar or a brothel might be as entertaining. After the embassy visit, while Corven and Six do a little sightseeing, Nameless visits the Guild of Starlight and Shadow and becomes a member, as well as selling the doses of orred poison there.
* That night, Nameless is woken by a strange feeling. He finds himself able to see the room in the dark, especially the soft, slightly luminous and grayish mist that covers the floor, eddying as if there were little breezes, though he cannot detect any. He also hears a soft buzzing sound that seems to come from all around. Corven, Gareth and Bodo are still asleep (Six, as usual, is in his own room), and seem impossible to awake. The buzzing sound slowly increases, and just as he casts a protective spell, a young woman steps through the door, without opening it. She is short and slim, wearing loose, comfortable robes, with long hair tied up in a loose bun. She looks human, with angular, sharp features, and is breathing as if she's been running. As soon as she sees Nameless, she calls, "Come quickly - there is no time!" & grabs his hand. He lets her pull him towards the door and she steps partially through it, before turning to say, "They are almost here!" Nameless suddenly gets a feeling that there is something behind him, and there is a momentary feeling of intense pain as something pierces the back of his neck, followed by the sense of being on the edge of a silent explosion. Everything goes black and he opens his eyes to find himself in the dark, lying in bed. Deciding it wasn't a dream, Nameless leaves for the mage guild (it being about 2 am at this time) and spends the next couple of hours in their small library researching what he experienced. He discovers that the woman's garb was kalashtar in nature, and that it was either (a) somebody sending him a dream vision and/or actually entering his dream, (b) some sort of conscious interaction with the plane of dreams, or (c) a really vivid dream. Returning to the inn around dawn, he falls asleep.
* When the others awake, Corven finds a note that has been slipped under their door. It says:
Dear adventurers,
I believe that I have some information, sharing which may mutually benefit both of us. Please come to the Lucky Nines Casino in Firelight tonight, at eight.
A (potential) friend
The adventurers decide to see what this is about. During the day, they do various things, with Gareth attending morning services at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame, while Corven visits the Deneith enclave to discover if there is any more information regarding the disappearances they have been investigating (there isn't), Six visits the Cannith enclave to ask about warforged origins and components, and Nameless catches up on some sleep.
* In the evening, they head down to the Firelight district in Lower Menthis. They find it to be a red light district, but much cleaner and well maintained than one might expect. They make their way to the Lucky Nines casino, a large and well-appointed place. After being asked to turn in weapons at the reception area, they are allowed in to the main floor area, which consists primarily of gambling tables, with a seating/drinking area to the side, the whole illuminated with a glamour and glitter that must involve substantial magical use. Many well-dressed people occupy the room. Shortly after the adventurers enter, a chubby gnome bumps into Corven, slipping him a note asking them to meet him at a particular table in the sitting area. When they get there, the gnome is already seated. Asking them to join him, he introduces himself as Killian and tells them that he has a proposal. He seems quite well informed about the group's members and about their visit to Khyber's Gate, and reveals that the gnolls they fought belonged to the criminal organization called Daask. He suggests that if the group is interested in countering some of Daask's activities, he can give them information about some Daask operations and they can deal with it as they see fit. When asked how he benefits from this, he says that his employer (whom he chooses not to name) would be happy to see Daask weakened. Gareth originally demurs, saying that he is sure that the gnome belongs to some evil organization and he will not help any such. Killian asks whether preventing Daask's activities such as murder, robbery and drug-running is not a worthy aim. He also says, when asked point-blank if he works for any rival gang, that he does not. Corven says that the group is willing to accept information, but will act as they see fit, and Killian says that he could ask no more. Also, as the group's insistence, he says that he will arrange some sort of go-between so that they can contact him too, rather than simply him contacting them. With that being settled, he thanks them for the meeting and wishes them best of luck in their future endeavors.
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
After speaking with the were creature, we hear some creatures in the back coming up. We close the door and Corven uses one of his infusions to hold the door shut magically. We turn around, injured as we are, and head back the way we came. We go up the hole, and a bit further down. Once there, we heal ourselves up.
Going down a bit further, heading home, we hear a whistling and encounter a person in robes and holding a staff. This person introduces himself to us as Andon and he says that he lives in Khyber's Gate. We speak to this man, who did not radiate evil. He also seemed sincere and amicable. He told us of some places in Khybers Gate, including a tavern by the name of Shamukaar. This tavern is a "neutral" territory where nobody fights, no matter what the dispute. After speaking with Andon for a bit, I ask him if he would help navigate us to this place and he agrees. We are to meet Andon in three days at the Broken Mirro in Callestan. Upon parting, Andon informs us that he heard some noise in one of the tunnels, and to watch out.
We travel for a bit longer and are beseiged by a group of rats - many of whom are undead. Six of Six and me are at the front and swarmed first. Luckily, Six of Six is immune to their disease, and with the Silver Flame's blessing, so am I. I start to turn these undead, dealing damage to them while everyone else begins throwing Alchemists Frost and Fire that we found on the creatures we fought earlier. Six of Six, at first tries his spiked chain - but this has little effect. After a while, the swarm seems to be dispersed and we are left a bit worse for wear. We continue down the path to the room with the broken mirror. Corven grabs the skin-bag and stuffs it in his pack. I continue to check for evil and keep vigil while we are in this room.
Once we exited the Cogs, we are informed that this area will be closed. We are assured there are other ways we can get into the Cogs, so I am not too worried about Andon getting out to meet us. We head back to house Deneith to meet Lalia. We speak with her for a few moments nad let her know our plan. She seems fine with this. After our meeting, we head back to the inn where we reset up, get cleaned and eat some food. Bodo was not around, which is not too terribly surprising as he must have been bored here by himself. He arrives a short time later, saying that he visited some friends in a part of town called Grayflood.
We finished our meal and heard a commotion outside, only to find a fight at the Moon's Rest inn. The fight gets broken up and we try to investigate, but the guards refuse to let us in. We show them our credentials, but this is not enough. I notice a couple of the gaurds have some minor injuries and I offer to heal him. At first he is taken aback, but then, realizing what I was doing is thankful.
We head back to our rooms to rest for the night. Upon waking up we head to the Clifftop Adventurers Guild. They ask us to join, and I am always a bit leery about joining different organizations. After a while they convince me that joining requires no obligation other then annual dues. We are told that we need to get five other guild members to sponsor us and are told we can find three members at the Drunken Dragon. We head there and speak with a dwarf named Narik and he tells us of his adventures to Xen'drik, completing a mission for Morgrave University. We ask the adventurers to sponser us and they inform us the next time they go to the Guild that we should look them up and they will be glad to put in a good word...for a drink. We shake hands and part company, heading to the Cyran embassy.
Once we arrive at the Cyran embassy the group starts chatting a bit with the members. At one point the group offers to donate a lot of money to the Cyran embassy. While I feel sorry for members of Cyr who have suffered, I resent the group agreeing to this without asking me - especially since I am not sure how this money will be used. If it will be used for the needy, then it is not so bad - though it should be known part of the money came from members of the Silver Flame. If it is used for military purposes, or to line the pockets of some politician then I have problems with it. I realize that I am wasting my time here, so I part ways with the group and head on to send a letter to my family. I go to a Sivas station and begin to compose the letter:
Dear Mother and Grandmother,
Let me first apologize for not writing sooner. My travels have been long since leaving the wars behind and I have encountered some people and places. I am presently with a group of three other people who hail from the Mournlands - former Cyran soldiers. One is a War Forged, another is a Wizard, and the last is an Artificer (also of Deneith lineage). They were friends and comrades before Cyran was destroyed and are still friends and comrades. They seem like a well-meaning lot though sometimes are a bit confused about what is the correct thing to do.
We arrived, three days ago, in Sharn - the City of Towers. Grandmother - this place definitely matches the wonderful stories you told me when I was young. The city is magical, both literally and figuratively. There is much to see here, to learn and to hopefully be able to help those in need of it.
The first thing I did when I arrived here was go to the local House Deneith and met two Marshals (twins actually) by the name of Lalia (and I forget the other). They seemed friendly enough and have asked me and my comrades to follow up on a man search. This seemed like a justified mission, so I took it and we are currently investigating things.
I also stopped by the Church of Silver Flame here in Sharn. It is a grand church indeed. Unfortunately, the light of this church - as many others - is dimmed by the evil men that are allowed to walk through in garbs of priests. One day the Church itself must go through a cleansing.
We have gone on some missions in this city and encountered many different people - including Shifters who are quite friendly once we get past the issues of "what we are". I also took charge of a street urchin named Bodo. He seemed the least evil and corrupt of a group of boys asking us if we needed a guide. I keep him close to us, and have him setup in the inn so he does not go back to live on the streets. I am trying to instill in him good values and maybe he will be able to survive off the streets.
We plan on staying in Sharn for a while, how long I do not know, but I have a feeling it will be sometime. It would be great to hear from you and I hope everything is well. Please place a flower on father's tomb, since I cannot be there to do it myself.
Always, with love,
Gareth Byron Deneith
Paladin of the Silver Flame
After completing the letter, I head back to the inn where I get dressed up to go to the Sharn Opera House. I bring Bodo with me, in the attempts to show him some of the finer things in life. Bodo would like to go to a brothel, but I decline his offer and bring him along. It is a fine Opera, telling a tragic story, full of love and vengeance. Many people cry, though I smack Bodo on the back of the head to keep him awake.
After the Opera we head back to the inn and retire for the night. I am startled awake by Bodo shouting and see Nameless sneaking off. Upon questioning him he says that nothing is wrong and we should go to sleep. It seems a bit fishy, but if he wishes to scamper off in the night then that is his choice.
When morning arrives, Corven finds a cryptic letter, asking us to meet a "Potential Friend" at the Lucky Nines Casino in Firelight. Since we have plenty of time to kill, I proceed to the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame where I pray and anoint Kismet with holy water and oils. I take Bodo with me to show him the process.
As night comes around, we head to the Lucky Nines Casino. While this area is still of a seedy nature, it seems to be a bit better maintained. A more upscale version of what can be found in Lower Dura. We meet with a man named Killian, and I instantly realize I do not like him. In fact, I do not trust him as far as I can run Kismet through him and, unfortunately, had to check Kismet at the door. This Killian would like us to work for him, from time to time, in disrupting members of the Daask gang. While this sounds like a good thing, he does not state his affiliation and I worry that by helping him hinder Daask members, I would be helping a potential other gang raise in power. I inform him, very bluntly, that I will not help him defeat evil so another evil can gain power. I told him that any mission he requires of us will require due diligence on our parts and if something seems amiss, the consequences will be severe.
We part company, and only time will tell what will happen.
__________________ "We are all Individuals! They chanted in unison...
I checked, and this thread also exists in Google's cache. If you're missing any bits, head there!
__________________ - Piratecat, EN World Admin
Currently editing the 4e War of the Burning Sky adventure path. Support EN Publishing, get excellent modules!
Shilsen : I think you said Nameless is going to go see if he can locate the alienist at the Guild of Starlight and Shadows, right?
Me : Correct, he'll bring along some of his tentcle soup as well.
Shilsen : Oh man - I need to get Nameless writing a Dummies Guide to Dating for Alienists!
Me : Dummies don't need a a dating guide for alienists, anyone who isn't smart enough ends up dying horribly and won't survive long enough to read it.
Now back to our regularly Scheduled Story Hour
Shilsen :
Once you make it to the Guild and ask about her, you'll be told that Trillia Lelleir has her own home nearby, behind and between the Dark Words (sells scrolls) and Bottled Silver (sells potions). You'll also be told about a possible job opening. Karr'Aashta, a House Tharashk inquisitive who runs his own agency called Karr'Aashta's investigations in the same district, has contacted the Guild about whether any of the members might be interested in accompanying one of his associates on a bounty hunting job. Says that the target is an fallen ex-Karrnathi holy warrior and that it'll take some traveling, but no other details. Can directly contact Karr'Aashta at his agency, which you'll be given directions to.
If you go to Trillia's house, you'll find it to be a tower apartment, otherwise unremarkable outside, other than having the Guild's sigil to indicate a member lives there. The door is opened by a steward, who'll check who you are and (assuming that you mention a Guild affiliation) let you into a waiting room. He'll be back in a few minutes to let you know that his mistress will see you and take you to a more comfortable sitting room. The inside of the apartment doesn't look much like a mage's abode, other than the odd arcane item (and yes, there are a couple of tentacular statuettes). A couple minutes after that Trillia shows up to greet you.
She's a pleasant-looking woman who looks to be in her early thirties. Bright green eyes and short blonde hair, with a single streak of black running down one side. Comfortable robes as many of the middle-class wear.
What next?
Let me know how you'll generally introduce yourself, what you'll ask about, info you'll share with her, etc.
Me : I will tell her "I wish to learn the knowledge of that which lies beyond the confines of our small reality. To peer beneath the surface of what the uninitiated view as solid and impenetrable. My arts are bent towards those of summoning and I desire to bring those who dwell beyond to my aid when I call. I am told that you have already started walking the path to that knowledge and I wish to ask your help in setting my feet upon that same path towards transcendence. I know that there are prices to be paid for this knowledge and that a cost will be extracted, but I am willing and unafraid. Even if it is only because of my ignorance."
"Err, I also have some tentacle stew I made from a <whateveritwas>, It is not without it's risks as well, but it is an interesting culinary experiment. It can also be effective in inuring one's self against other less exotic and less palatable foods.
Shilsen :
Lillia's lips begin to twitch a bit during your speech and she gives an explosive and quite unladlylike guffaw at the comment about the tentacle stew. "Hah!" she chortles, "Tentacle stew? Nobody's offered me that since ... well ... ever!" She stops laughing, but there is still an amused twinkle in her eyes as she steps forward and sticks out a hand, "And no, I'm not laughing at you. I'm just not very big on formality. Call me Trillia. And have a seat."
She takes a seat on a comfortable couch, curling her feet up under herself. Once you are seated, she waves a hand and a small hammer rings a nearby gong (unseen servant, you figure), summoning the steward, who she will ask to fetch both of you something to drink. Once that is done, she says, "I'm not big on entertaining, but I have to say it is interesting to meet a fellow scholar, and especially one with the same interests. Even though the Guild is less stuffy than the old farts at the Esoteric Order, even some of the members here think my ... or, seemingly, our ... sort of studies are dangerous and risky. Which is utter garbage, of course! Knowledge on its own has no morality. Morality - which has its own problems as a concept - lies in the uses of knowledge, not the acquisition thereof. Knowledge, simply ... is. Which, come to think of it, is a good explanation for the kind of subjects I study. They..."
At this point, she stops and chuckles. "There I go again, rambling about my interests. And I haven't even asked what your name is. Glauster - that's my steward - said that you told him you were nameless. Were you just being coy," she chuckles, "Or is there some interesting story there?"
Me:
With a somewhat distant expression on his face and eyes that loose their focus, Nameless replies. "I do not understand it myself, but I have no name. What ever it is in the nature of things that names them is absent in me. It is not something that is lost or taken. It is part of my nature in the way that color or texture is part of other things. Perhaps that is why I seek the knowledge that I do. Like I, they are also nameless, such concepts are meaningless to them.
His eyes regain their focus and he looks at her once more. "So usually I am called nameless, it is really a description, but most mistake it for a name and it sounds like one in any language but this."
With a smile he continues "It is indeed a pleasure to talk about such things, with a savant. My comrades are strong warriors, but they have no comprehension of such things. As you know there are a limited number of people with whom it is safe to discuss such things even among those who can understand. I discuss them with Edgar, but that usually only baffles and alarms those around me." (he indicates his rock)
Trillia smiles and says, "An inbuilt resistance to names, and you have a rock named Edgar? Some things are definitely unusual about you, master Nameless, but then that is to be expected in our line of work, so to say."
She wiggles into a somewhat more comfortable position and then says, "So, how exactly do you think I can help you? I am not looking for an apprentice, and somehow, I do not get the impression that you are looking to become one at this point. So are you looking for an instructor, or simply a more experienced colleague, or just a friend to discuss your interests with?"
Before you can respond, she continues quickly, "After all, as you mentioned, subjects such as mine can be a trifle unsafe to discuss. What do I gain from sharing what I know with a stranger such as yourself?" Her voice grows steadily less jovial till it is clipped and razor-sharp. "After all, do I not run the risk of simply creating a rival to my own desires? You said that there is always a price to be paid for this knowledge and cost to be extracted. What can I extract from you, master Nameless, which would make you worth my while?" Trillia falls silent, her green eyes now cold and hard upon you.
Unphased by her rapid shift in personality, Nameless calmly replies "I offer you knowledge, power and an ally. You are an established city mage, while that grants you a stable income and time to do research it is not a quick path to power. I have chosen to risk my life pitting it against the many dangers out there, for there is no teacher like having your life depend on your skills and knowledge. I don't know why, but I know I do not have decades to spend slowly learning and growing in power. There are times even now, when I feel the hot breath of something unknown on my neck and I know I need power much greater than I have now."
Nameless's eyes briefly kindle with a dark fire. "I WILL have that power and will gladly share the knowledge and understandings I gain with you. Already I am on the verge of obtaining real power and skill, before too long I will be a powerful ally. I am going to be venturing into the dark and shadowed places of the world where many hidden mysteries can be revealed. Secrets I am sure you would like to have revealed to you. All I am asking of you is an introduction into the realms of existance that are already known to you. Knowledge is not something you loose by sharing it."
"Nor do I desire to rival anyone, I seek what I do for my own reason, even if I do not always understand what they are. If there is something more concrete that you wish me to do, please name it. If we are to be allies, trust must be established and I do not ask you to place faith in me without cause. If we are allies then what benefits you is not a loss to me."
"However, if you seek someone to bow and scrape before you, to toady for you and flatter your every whim, then I will indeed have to seek elsewhere. Such as that are no allies indeed, nor could anyone so lacking in will survive what we must on the path we tread. Even if it is a path that must be trode alone, company, however distant does make a journey more pleasant and safer."
He then bows his head to her and awaits her reply.
Trillia holds your gaze for a moment, her expression still as hard as before, before the fagade cracks and her face is split with a broad smile. She lifts her hands and claps, before saying, "Well spoken. Somewhat, though not overly, diplomatic (her smile widens at this point), but clear and forceful about your position. I appreciate that. Of course, it remains to be seen whether your actions will live up to your words but that's true for all of us."
She cocks her head and looks speculatively at you, and then continues, "Many scholars have pondered exactly what it is that sets limits to an individual's abilities. Why is it that some war veterans will never improve their expertise beyond where they were after a dozen battles, whether they fight in a hundred or thousand? Why can some wizards learn to master, say, valences of the third power in two years of study and then have to spend the next twenty to access the next circle of theurgy? And others spend just as much time and effort and never move beyond the second power? Some put it down to fate, but I am not a big believer in it. I would say, rather, that each person has a finite potential, which he or she can choose to achieve or not. And in your case, I think you may be right about the fact that you have a potential that will be revealed quickly. But we shall see."
As for myself, she says, "The sharing of knowledge and a little, presumably fascinating, conversation is something I am always willing to indulge in with the right people. And though we've made a good beginning on the latter, perhaps we can have more of the same and some sharing of knowledge over dinner. Will you join me?"
As Nameless nods agreement, she gestures and the gong rings again, summoning Glauster. She informs the steward that you will be staying for dinner and that he may serve it when ready. Once he leaves, she turns back to you and says,
"At this moment I will ask nothing of you for whatever I may share or reveal to you. As you say, ours is a lonely road, and a little intelligent company never hurts. Well, other than intelligent company that tries to rip your eyeballs out, which has been known to happen ... but I digress. As I said, I will ask nothing of you right now. Perhaps, in the future, I may need to ask you for help or a favor, and at that time you can decide based on what goes before whether you are willing to give it or not. And no, I don't ask for promises of any kind other than that you will consider whatever it is that I may ask, before agreeing or dismissing it."
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
* After leaving Killian's table, the group moves around the casino for a while. Killian remains at the table till he finishes his drink, before moving around the casino too, still being there when the adventurers leave. When they return to the Happy Harvest inn, Bodo is out, but they find someone else waiting for them. It is a young shifter woman, who introduces herself as Luna and says that she has been referred to them by Narik, from the Clifftop Adventurer's Guild. She is Brelish but new to Sharn, and has been looking for a group that could benefit from her abilities as a healer, spellcaster and warrior, and whom she could also learn from. Luna also explains that she is a druid. Nameless asks her some questions about various druid sects and philosophies, and Luna says that while she was trained by a member of the Gatekeepers, she is not affiliated with any druidic sect herself. The adventurers decide to accept her on a trial basis and explain a little about what they have been doing recently and their plan for the next day.
* Coming down to breakfast the next morning, the group is met by a changeling in his natural form, who introduces himself as Flan and says he has been sent by Killian. He informs them that if they need to contact him, he can usually be found at the Drunken Dragon tavern, showing them a ring with a blue gemstone which he will be wearing, in whatever form he is in, so that they can recognize him. He also suggests that they be a little 'discreet' in contacting him there.
* After Flan leaves, the group heads down to Callestan. On the way, they stop at a clothing shop to pick up some different clothes, especially a large cloak for Gareth that will hide the details of his armor, so that there will be lower chances of Daask members recognizing them from their battle with the gnolls. Reaching Callestan and the Broken Mirror, they find it full of the usual clientele, with Andon sitting quietly in a corner with a drink. Redtooth (or Gorlick) and his brother Arian are not present, but some of the others there recognize them. Andon greets them and the group leaves with him.
* Andon leads them west into the Precarious warehouse district and to one of the access tunnels into the Ashblack cogs. One of the guards at the tunnel entrance asks the group where they are going and ends up completely confused from the various answers. Andon leads the group down into Ashblack and then away through the tunnels leading to Khyber's Gate. On the way he explains that if the group does get themselves into trouble, he is going to stay out of it, since he doesn't want to be in a fight. At some point while traveling, both Nameless and Andon detect some form of magical effect which they successfully resist, but using detect magic and Gareth's detect evil does not reveal anything (Nameless does detect some protective magical items on Andon).
* After nearly an hour of traveling, the group enters Khyber's Gate and heads towards Shamukaar, after Andon talks to a couple of nearby goblins to be sure of the route. On the way, they pass creatures of various races and find that the entire area is honeycombed with tunnels and structures carved into the cavern and tunnel walls. Shamukaar turns out to be set into a large cavern opening off the main tunnel that they are in. It appears to just be a somewhat seedy-looking tavern, albeit with much of its proportions larger than for humans. Reaching the door, the group finds a strong stench of meat and blood emerging, and enter to find that it is a combination slaughterhouse, butcher shop, restaurant and tavern. To the right of the large sitting & eating area that they enter into are a large pair of open doors, revealing the lip of a large pit beyond. Though there are some people from the more common races, most of the tavern is full of goblinoids, with some gnolls and ogres, and even a minotaur talking to a large half-ogre and a cloaked and hooded figure at the bar. A bugbear serves drinks, while an ogre stands behind a large table with a cleaver, cutting meat off unidentifiable slabs of meat hanging from hooks in the ceiling near him.
* Andon waits outside and enters a little after the rest of the group and takes a seat at a different table. The group takes a table and are quickly accosted by a goblin server. Everyone orders drinks, while Nameless orders some food (from a verbal menu that apparently only contains various types of meat), making sure that it is not sentient. Nameless also tries and fails to stop Gareth from wasting energy by detecting evil and discovering that the majority of the clientele are. Six asks the goblin, named Raaka, about the disappearances. Though the goblin doesn't know anything, he says he will check and asks around.
* When the drinks and food arrive, Nameless tries his and manages to keep it down. Meanwhile, the questions from the goblin lead the minotaur to come across to the group's table. He introduces himself as Torarg (the goblin already said that he and the cloaked figure - Harash - are from Daask) and joins the group as Six quickly buys him a drink. After talking a bit with the group about their search, he calls Harash to join them. Harash, who turns out to be a medusa, says that he might have some information about the location of a local cult, but asks the group what the information is worth, and then suggests that if they "entertain" the crowd he will give them the information. Talking to the large half-ogre, who is apparently the owner and the Shamukaar the tavern is named after, he suggests that they group fight "monkeys" in the pit. When pressed, he indicates that the monkeys are actually horrid apes and about as big as an ogre. The adventurers reluctantly agree and are lowered into the pit with ropes, finding it to be roughly forty feet long and wide and thirty high, with a sandy floor and rocky walls, and a fifteen foot high and broad portcullis at the end.
* As they take up positions and cast preparatory spells, growling begins behind the portcullis, which is raised to reveal two large apes beyond it, with weird spikes and scales on them. Battle is joined, originally going well for the group, with Six tripping an ape, Gareth wounding one, Luna striking them with hurled handfuls of flame, Nameless distracting them with summoned creatures and Corven using his wand of scorching ray. Things quickly go downhill from there, as the group discovers the apes are very strong (one ripping Six's spiked chain from his hands) and drip acid from their claws. Despite Nameless' web spells hindering them, one ape breaks free and seizes Gareth and rends him, almost ripping him in two*. Six too is badly wounded and then smashed into near-death against the arena wall. The remaining adventurers do manage to take down the wounded apes, though not before both Luna and Corven are badly wounded too. They quickly check on the fallen pair and find them miraculously both alive**.
* The viewers are very entertained by the fight and Harash says that it is one of the best that he has seen. He gives the group directions to a place about a quarter mile away, in a relatively uninhabited part of Khyber's Gate, where he says the cultists have a small house. He also asks if the group has been in Khyber's Gate before, with a speculative eye on Gareth's revealed armor (his cloak having been ripped off during the fight). The group denies any such occurrence and quickly leaves the tavern, before any more questions are asked.
* They return to the place where they entered Khyber's Gate and leave quickly, making their way back to Ashblack and then the surface, without any further trouble. Returning to the inn, they settle down to a very late lunch and a discussion of what the next move should be.
* 50+ pts of damage in one round!
** Thanks to spending three action points each to survive below -10.
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
After concluding our business with Killian the group starts walking around the casino, and it seems that Six of Six is happy to gamble a little bit. While I do not object to people gambling, I hope Six realizes that gambling should not be relied upon for a source of income – unless one is the gambling house. I ask the group to leave as I do not feel like consorting in this area anymore – it just simply provides no useful stimulation.
We arrive back at the inn, which seems to be our temporary home, where we encounter a Shifter woman who was sent to us by one of the people from Clifftop, Nerak I believe. This girl introduces us as Luna and tells us that she is a druid looking for some adventures. She says she could offer us combat expertise as well as healing. She seems like an honest one, and at the very least does not have the taint of evil upon her. I have no problems with her joining, and I think Six of Six is a little taken with her. I do not think Six, in his short-lived years, has encountered many women on a long-term, personal level. We inform Luna about our current mission and she seems agreeable to join us.
We have some time to kill for the night so I spend it in prayer, anointing my sword with more holy water and oils from the church. Hopefully I will get a reply to my letter from my mother and my grand mom very soon. I miss them dearly.
In the morning we head downstairs and encounter a changeling by the name of Flan. He says that he is making himself known as the messenger from Killian. He also lets us know that he can be found at the Drunken Dragon tavern and that if he is shape shifted we should just look for his blue gemstone ring.
We eat our breakfast and then make our way out to go for some clothes shopping. I purchase a greatcloak to help him my armor for our journey to Khyber’s Gate. We then make our way to the Broken Mirror in Callestan where we see some familiar faces, and they see us. Nobody seems to bother us as they remember us as a good lot – and that is how I would like to keep it. I do not see Redtooth or his brother, but who knows they might just be disguised. We encounter Andon and chat with him for a bit. We let him know about the undead rats, and he lets us know about the commotion that was caused when we left Khyber’s Gate.
We head down to the cogs from another entrance, in some warehouse, and continue our way to Khyber’s Gate. On the way there Andon informs us of some basic rules. He tells us that if we cause trouble, or if trouble runs into us, he will not jump into the fray. I would not want him to, he is already helping us for nothing and I would feel bad if he got hurt because of us. While going down Andon and Nameless experience some magical effect. They try to detect the magic and I try to search for evil but we do not find anything. Maybe it was some kind of scrying, or some kind of mind control. The people looking for us will make themselves known when they are ready.
We enter Khyber’s Gate and head to this tavern, Shamukaar. Andon asks for direction along the way – since we are underground it is hard to navigate sometimes. Six of Six keeps note of the direction we are heading, I also do the same. We head into the tavern and pick up a seat.
This place smells pretty foul and looks it to. At times like this I feel even more blessed that the Silver Flame protects me from diseases of all sorts. A not-too-bright goblin comes to the table and asks us what we would like to eat. Apparantly the food is meat, special meat, and I believe meat surprise. Nameless finds, to his dismay, that there is no tentacles. He then proceeds to ask the goblin to make sure the food was never sentient. They go into a discussion while Nameless tries to explain what he meant. While he is doing this I begin to scan for evil, and eventually feel a poking at my side. I inform Nameless that he should refrain from trying to distract me. He tells me this is rude to detect evil. All of a sudden it matters? I will have to inform him that poking me, at anytime, is not acceptable – just as it would be for me to poke him while he is casting a spell against some monster. After speaking to some of the creatures a big Minotaur comes around and introduces to us as Torarg. Six of Six buys him a drink and we are talking. Torarg said he could help us out but wants us to earn the information – by fighting in the pits. We go into a discussion and I am reluctant to go into a lethal fight for sport. I find out, from Luna, that these big monkeys are of the magical kind – not normal and not very kind to any creature.
We head down to the pits, and begin prepping ourselves up. As the doors to the monkey cage open huge beasts arrive. Luna takes up a position to the side of the door, Six of Six at an angle, and I stand right in front acting as a shield to prevent the monkeys from running up to Corven or Nameless. I slash at an ape, and Six is able to trip him. Luna then begins throwing flames from her hand – things are going well. Nameless starts summoning his foul demonic creatures, while Corven uses his “scorching ray” wand. Nameless then casts a web spell which helps entrap the creature. I inform Six of Six that I will make an attempt to flank the creatures. As I almost get into position, Six of Six drops his weapon and tumbles away from the creature to drop his bow. At the same time Nameless has Luna burn the web. The creatures take some minor damage and now I am left alone with them. The only thing that is providing a little distraction and help is the monsters that Luna is summoning. Nameless casts another web spell, but this one is not as strong as the other. I wish Nameless would not burn those webs. While it may look pretty to see things go up in flame, those web spells really do help protect us from these creatures.
This big creature starts to slash me and tears into me, I pass out unconscious – probably lucky that I did not die. From this point on I can only go by what Corven told me. The creatures ignore me and then proceed forward where they strike out at Six of Six and bring him down also. Corven then proceeds to heal Six of Six, though he stays down and acts as if he is dead. Luna proceeds to summon some eagles which not only distract the big apes, but they also do some decent damage. The group continues to damage the apes, and Corven strikes a fell blow with his wand. The eagles that Luna summoned also take down one of the apes.
After the battle Corven proceeds to heal the group up. We explain to Luna that after combat we use magical wands to conserve on our healing abilities. We head back up to the main part of the inn, where we find a very entertained group. They also notice my armor. The Minotaur asks if we have been here before and I tell him no, that I have not. I guess to preserve the greater good it would not be prudent to let him know of our previous encounter at Khyber’s Gate. I do not think starting a massive fight would do anyone good – though I am sure some of these creatures deserve to die. We leave the tavern and return to the inn. We talk some battle tactics, and I voice my complaints about being left alone in a precarious position. I tell the group that if they want to use me as the shield, I will need to be healed a bit more often (and quickly) and I will need better equipment to protect me. Also, the group should just not abandon me in the middle of battle. I got lucky the creatures didn’t decide to beat on me while I lay there unconscious.
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
While the others remain at the inn, Nameless goes to the Guild to learn the location of Trillia Lelleir, an alienist and one of the more powerful members of the Guild in Sharn. He also learns of a possible job for the group, since a Tharashk inquisitive has inquired at the Guild about hiring a member (and possibly any associates) for a job involving apprehending an ex-Karrnathi fallen holy warrior. Nameless goes to Trillia's home and meets her, finds her quite interested in sharing knowledge with him, and is invited to return again whenever he wishes.
The others, meanwhile, are joined by Bodo, who has apparently spent the day down in Grayflood. He says that he heard that a couple of people were inquiring about adventurers willing to help investigate the increasing attacks by sahuagin on shipping in the area.
***
The next morning, the group is at breakfast when Six notices a stranger (human male) in the room fidgeting with a ring looking just like Flan's. Joining him, they find that it is Flan and he delivers a message from Killian, letting them know that Daask has opened a dreamlily den in the tenement district of Tumbledown, to the northwest of the Underlook district where the group's inn is. He says that there is no further information and that they make act on it as they deem fit.
Conferring after he is gone, the group is unanimous in not wanting to get involved with Daask any more right now. Gareth decides to take the information to the Deneith enclave. Not finding Lalia or Tasra there, he leaves them a note detailing the information and suggesting that they contact the city watch or other law enforcement in this regard.
Nameless, Corven and Luna, meanwhile, visit the Tharashk inquisitive Karr'Aashta, head of Karr'Aashta's Investigations. He reveals that his associate Raog is planning to go after a target who was supposedly formerly a paladin and originally a member of the Karrnathi military and, late in the Last War, betrayed his soldiers and led them into an ambush. He has since been a criminal and has a bounty on his head, and Karr'Aashta has narrowed down his location to an area a week's travel away. Hearing that the group has five members and checking on their various abilities, he says that he is willing to give them the job. The three members of the group say that they will need to confer with the others and decide.
Lastly, Six goes down to the docks of Grayflood with Bodo and locates Quinn, the person seeking adventurers to deal with the sahuagin. Quinn reveals that there have been escalating attacks, such as the one the group fought off on the way to Sharn. The Royal Navy has planned to have a merchant ship traveling with prepared adventurers on board, hoping to tempt sahuagin into attacking and capture at least one, so that they can interrogate it and discover what is going on. When he learns that the group has fought and defeated sahuagin before, Quinn wishes to hire them, and Six says that he will have to check with his companions.
When the entire group reconvenes at the inn, Nameless suggests that leaving the city for a while might be a good idea, just in case Daask is actually looking for them, and everyone agrees. They decide to try to find a way to combine both jobs and revisit first Karr'Aashta and then Quinn. At the former's, they meet the half-orc inquisitive named Raog who will accompany them to apprehend their target, and (once they have agreed to accept the job) learn that the target is named Desro and was a former captain in the Karrnathi army. He is expected to be found near Shadowlock Keep in southwestern Breland. The group plans to meet Raog at the Keep, traveling there on the decoy ship for the sahuagin job. The details of the assignment and the payment (the group chooses an equal share of whatever is recovered, rather than a fixed pay) are agreed upon, and the group heads to Grayflood.
There, they meet with Quinn and explain their particular needs. Quinn agrees that it would work and the agreement is made that the ship will travel west and drop them near Shadowlock Keep and wait for them for a couple of days. The adventurers are supposed to be paid fifty galifars each, with an extra fifty each if they do encounter and defeat sahuagin, and fifty more if they successfully capture some. The group is given a day to prepare and told that the ship will leave on the 10th.
***
The next day, the 9th, the group-members keep themselves busy in various ways. Corven, Six and Luna travel to the Morgrave University library together and spend a number of hours checking documents and books regarding the group's interests and their personal ones. Six suggests that the group also get hold of old newspapers and they check copies of the Korranberg Chronicle and the less reputable Sharn Inquisitive. Though they do not find anything on Desro in the papers (there is some historical information at the library about the battle he betrayed his troops in, and snippets about his earlier career), they find some information about the Cogs and the history of Sharn.
Nameless spends much of the day at the Guild, working on a couple of scrolls to add to his magical arsenal. Gareth, having received a note in the morning from Lalia inviting him to a show and dinner, spends the evening with her. They visit the Khavish Theater in Upper Menthis to see a popular new comedy and then make it to an excellent restaurant called Galdin's Garden to have some spicy Brelish cuisine. During the meal and on the way back, Lalia hits on Gareth but has no success.
***
The next day, as planned, the group returns to Grayflood. Before doing so, Gareth sends Bodo to the Cathedral with a note asking for him to be given a place there. At Grayflood, they meet Quinn and board the ship, which is a sturdy-looking cog captained by an old sailor named Gorin. The group is accompanied by five other warriors, including a pair of half-elven archers, a dwarven axeman, and two human swordsmen.
The ship leaves Sharn soon after the group boards and heads south into the Straits of Shargon, before turning west. The voyage is uneventful for the first few days, as the ship continues west before eventually turning north. Eventually, on the night of the 14th, the ship is attacked by sahuagin. Six and one of the archers are on watch and they sound the alarm, quickly bringing the waiting Luna and the two swordsmen to the deck.
While sahuagin attempt to board the ship from both sides with grappling hook, the defenders keep them at bay, buying enough time for the sleeping adventurers and other guards to join them, Nameless staying behind the door to their cabins and casting spells from cover. The battle goes comfortably for the defenders until they are assaulted at the ship's rear by a sahuagin with clerical abilities and at the ship's front by a strangely mutated and stunted sahuagin with tentacular growths on its body.
Six manages to trip and wound the mutant sahuagin, despite its amazingly thick hide and great nimbleness, causing it to vomit a huge burst of foul and red-hot puke that badly wounds many of the defenders, kills one of the archers and renders Six, caught right in the blast, unconscious*. With the cleric wounding and stunning some of the defenders (including Corven, who has been shooting at sahuagin with a crossbow he enchanted against them with an infusion) with a spell and then causing one of the other warriors to temporarily attack the unarmored Gareth, the battle becomes a little more complicated than expected, but the defenders eventually prevail, Gareth cutting down the cleric and a hurled handful of flame from Luna** killing the mutant, just after it almost blinded her by spitting a glob of slime in her face.
While Six is revived and others healed, the cleric and one other unconscious sahuagin are bound. The mutant dissolves into a pool of acidic slime, causing some of the adventurers to collect some in vials and then quickly dispose of what remains before it eats through the decks.
***
While the group rests after the fight, the ship continues north and eventually docks near a small fishing village. The group disembarks, with the understanding that the ship will wait for three days while dropping off some cargo and taking on provisions. They obtain transportation on some wagons heading to the Keep and reach the village around it at midday.
Locating Raog in the tavern they were supposed to, they learn that Desro is a lot closer than originally anticipated, being only an hour's ride from where they are. Raog quickly organizes mounts and the group leaves, heading for a wooded area some miles away. After a little over an hour of riding, they reach the woods and proceed into it, finally finding a trail that should lead to the cottage where Desro is supposed to be hiding.
Leading the horses off the trail and hiding them, the group proceeds to the cottage, which is in the middle of a clearing. Six moves ahead to scout and finds it seemingly uninhabited, with signs that multiple horses had been in the area. Cautiously moving up to check the area, the group detects magical protections on both front and back doors, as well as one inside, and poisoned crossbow traps aimed at the windows. They manage to trigger the crossbows and collect the poisoned bolts and enter through the windows.
The hut is spartan, consisting of two rooms, and containing little furniture besides a table, four chairs and a couple of cots. A large chest is protected with another abjuration, and nobody wants to risk opening it yet. The group has Luna attempt to hide their tracks and lays an ambush, protecting themselves with spells and waiting inside the hut. After a couple of hours of waiting, as it is getting fairly dark outside, somebody hidden in the trees fires an arrow into the dirt outside the door, apparently with a note attached to it. The adventurers make no move and after a few minutes, a flaming arrow hits the wall of the hut. Luckily, it does not set the hut on fire.
A little more time passes and Luna hears the sound of distant spellcasting in the trees. Making a rough guess, she casts an entangle spell in the area, resulting in angered swearing from whoever it is. Figuring that their attacker is distracted, most of the adventurers pile out of one window, followed by Raog, while Gareth jumps out the other side.
Proceeding into the darkness of the woods, some of them manage to sight movement ahead due to a number of scrolls of low-light vision that Corven had prepared. Luna illumines the enemy with a faerie fire, revealing it to be an armored man with a shield. He is apparently a spellcaster since he hammers the group with a sound burst, stunning Six. The group is also attacked unexpectedly from the side, three arrows hammering into Nameless and seriously wounding him.
Gareth and Six charge the invisible archer, who is made an easy target by another faerie fire from Luna, while Corven engages the cleric with his crossbow and Raog charges him. Despite being critically wounded, Nameless manages to summon a celestial riding dog to keep the cleric busy.
With both enemies well-illumined, the fight ends quickly. The archer manages to wound Gareth twice, but is quickly wounded by Six and then smote to the ground by the paladin. The cleric manages to paralyze Raog with a hold person but takes a very serious wound from Corven's crossbow in the process. He swigs a potion, hoping that will enable him to flee, but before he can do so, a hurled produce flame from Luna drops him to the ground.***
* Straight from 28 hp to -1 in one attack.
** My error, since the creature was immune to fire
*** My error again, since I didn't track that Luna was exceeding her prepared spells in number and type. Only excuse - the entire section from the ship docking was completely ad-libbed, with no notes or stats, so I was juggling a LOT in my head.
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
I went to India over the summer, so there's a long gap between the last session and this one.
Session 7 (9/18/05) - Encounter(s) with Desro(s)
Corven ir’Lanya Deneith - Human Art5
Gareth Byron Deneith - Human Pal3/Clr2 (Silver Flame)
Luna - Shifter Drd5
Mithral 6 of 6 - Warforged Ftr2/Scout3
Nameless - Human Wiz5
While some of the group heal themselves, others check to see that the archer is dead but the cleric is alive, though unconscious. The former is a slim half-elf, wearing a magical chain shirt and using a well-made longbow, while the latter is a burly human, with a handlebar moustache and wearing a breastplate. He also wears a holy symbol of the Mockery, member of the Dark Six and deity of betrayal and treachery. Raog, once he recovers, identifies him as Desro and suggests that the group dispatch him immediately. Nameless is about to oblige but Gareth (who detects a strong evil aura on Desro) intervenes and suggests they keep him manacled and gagged, which should make it impossible for him to cast a spell, and question him later. Corven backs him up and Nameless and Raog reluctantly agree.
The two enemies, both corpse and live, are dragged back to the hut. There, the group goes through and divides their equipment, heals themselves, and triggers (from a distance) the magical traps on the two doors, which turn out to be explosive glyphs. There is also a magical trap on the chest, which they leave alone for now. All of them take a rest, other than Six, who has no choice but to stay awake and on watch.
Early in the morning, he awakes the others to say that the prisoner seems to be conscious. The adventurers quickly arise and, after pointing out to Desro what will happen if he makes any false moves, removes his gag. The man claims that his name is Rand, asks why they had laid an ambush for him and his friend Thalin in their hut and points out that they were defending themselves. This line of argument has no effect, especially with Gareth saying that he should die because he is evil and Raog saying that he is lying and should be killed immediately. When Nameless says they are only interested in Desro and are happy to kill anyone else who isn't important, the man changes tack and promises to tell them the truth. He then reveals himself to be a female changeling, turning into her natural form and then into that of a human female.
She reveals that her name is really Cail and she is a mercenary. She’d met Desro years ago when he was a fugitive at Black Pit, in northern Breland. He recently contacted her while passing through Sharn, where she was, and asked her to hire a tracker (Thalin) and meet him here. They were hired by Desro to accompany him and help him locate a strange mound with a cave nearby by tracking down and ambushing an orc that used to visit it. Once they’d done so (the previous afternoon), they’d been told to return here and that she should wear his form when in the forest. The pair had gone to town for supplies and returned to find the tracks of the PCs, who were waiting for them. She has no idea what Desro wanted with the cave but says she will lead the group to him if they let her go afterwards.
The group tentatively agrees to accept her aid and not kill her, and Gareth heals her enough so that she will not collapse. Though she argues that if Desro finds her with them he will kill her, they keep her manacled and only give her some clothes. When they ask about the chest, she says that Desro used to keep some personal materials in it. After triggering the trap on it, they open it to find many mundane items, a large ledger with some numbers in it, and a large locked lead box. Bashing it open, they find and take some 300 galifars, as well as some costly incense and other components used in casting spells such as augury and divination. It also contains a small folding altar to the Traveler, another member of the Dark Six, god of cunning and deception.
***
Once they are all ready, the group heads off into the forest, following Cail's directions. On the way, Raog asks them about their aims and plans in Sharn, as well as whether they are interested in accepting more such jobs. The adventurers make no promises but say that the possibility is always there. Cail leads them to a rough, overgrown trail about five hundred feet from the cabin, which leads north. It eventually disappears but Cail leads them onwards for about three miles or two hours travel for the group. Eventually they encounter an unnaturally tangled mass of vegetation, literally forming a wall about ten feet high. Luna opines that it is the result of a plant growth spell. Near the spot where they reach the wall, there is a five foot wide path that someone has hacked and burned through it. Cail says that was the work of Thalin, Desro and her.
Proceeding though the 'wall, the group finds it to be about fifty feet thick. Emerging within, they find it forms a huge circle, probably over six hundred feet in diameter. Some fifty feet away from them is a low mound of earth and rock, strangely devoid of vegetation. As they head towards it, some of them notice that there are literally no bird or animal noises in this area, though they had encountered enough on the way there. Cail says the entrance is around the edge of the mound to their right and Six scouts ahead, returning to say that there is a rectangular cave opening (6 x 8 feet) there, which is too regular to be natural and with what seems to be a raised threshold. There is also dried blood on the threshold.
Cail says that Desro, Thalin and she ambushed and killed a young orc who came out of the cave, stripped the body and dragged it into the rocks above. Though she says where it is, nobody cares to check it, and they all head for the entrance. Reaching it, they find that there are rough runes carved into it, in very ancient orcish, partly missing over time. Gareth deciphers these as reading, “… lies … for … for evil … here … you … are”. Nameless has more success, reading, “Here lies … for change, for good … evil. Know ... well before …. The Green will … you here. The Old Ones were, are and ever …”.
As the group is about to head into the tunnel, which has steps leading down into the darkness, Six hears the sound of metallic footsteps coming closer from within. The source turns out to be an old orc with stringy hair, wearing banded mail and with a greataxe strapped to back, who emerges slowly and look around cautiously. He asks the group what they want and introduces himself as a guardian of the mound, placed in magical slumber and woken recently by an intruder. When they describe Desro and say they seek him, he confirms that was what the intruder and says he slew him. When they ask to see the body, he asks them to enter the mound with him. Gareth detects no evil on him.
When they enter the tunnel, everyone except Luna and Raog feels a cold chill travel up his arms and disappear into his spine. Nameless also has a very strong sense of déjà vu, as if he has been here or somewhere similar before. The air within is musty but surprisingly breathable. The steps lead down about twenty feet to a straight tunnel, which heads in a straight line for sixty feet, before turning right. About fifty feet away is an archway, silhouetted by a glimmer of green light from beyond it. Just as the group is turning the corner, the orc attacks, neatly slicing off Cail's head and revealing himself as Desro. Battle erupts, with Desro causing some damage and taking some more, but it is over quickly. With an "I'll see you soon," Desro uses a spell and dimension doors away. Rushing outside the mound, the group does not see him, and they return to the tunnel.
The green light emanates from a circular room, about sixty feet across and thirty feet high. The body of a snakelike creature with a deep purple body covered in fine scales, a tail with a barbed stinger and an eel-like head with a human visage, lies against one wall (Nameless identifies it as a naga, a species of aberration). The creature is dead, slain by a slashing weapon, with a pool of dried blood beneath it. Checking it, Corven determines that some of the wounds are older than others, that it has been dead for a day and somebody cut its tongue out.
The room has an open doorway (which the adventurers came through) set into an arch and another seventeen such arches spaced equally around the room. Unlike the open doorway, the other arches have a curtain of dim green light blocking them. Large runes in orcish are carved into the floor, which read “Here lie the minions of the daelkyr. Show your worthiness. Free, destroy and pass.” Corven also finds a much more recent chalk inscription behind the naga, reading “P.S. It’s a trap!”
Nameless opines that this area is a test of some kind, where one must free an aberration and slay it. When throwing a piece of the naga at an archway has no effect, he touches one. Immediately, the green light disappears from the alcove directly across from it, revealing the alcove to be about five feet deep and holding two strange creatures, consisting of a floating, spherical body with a large eye and multiple stalks that bear smaller eyes at the end, which all of the group have heard of but never encountered. The two beholders* seem to be wounded and in a state of mindless rage, as they fly shrieking into the chamber, beams lancing from the various eyes.
As battle begins, the group quickly discovers that the gaze of the central eye can stun them. By the end of the fight, Gareth is exhausted by an eye-beam, Raog is stunned and rendered asleep, Corven is stunned, Nameless is rendered asleep, and Six is paralyzed. Luna and some of the others are also badly burned and wounded by other eyebeams. Luckily for the group, the creatures are too enraged to use particularly good tactics and leave themselves open enough to attacks to also be taken down soon enough, more quickly than would otherwise be due to their already wounded state.
Nameless, before being affected by a sleep effect, summons a celestial bison - or tries to. To his surprise, he feels something in the area warp his spell, and when the bison appears it bears a crest of small tentacles along its back. He realizes that it is a pseudonatural creature, the kind that Lillia back in Sharn had mentioned, and he tries to remember the way he felt the magic change upon casting, hoping to replicate it later.
As soon as the two creatures are dispatched, one of the green lights flickers out, revealing a tunnel beyond. The tunnel beyond leads forward for about forty feet before ending at a door, which has a pair of carved hand-prints in it.. Carvings on the tunnel walls depict aberrations of various kinds emerging from portals and fighting various creatures (especially orcs and hobgoblins), with the latter forcing the aberrations back towards the portals. Midway up the tunnel is a folded piece of parchment placed on the floor. Opening it, Gareth reads, “Question – What is scarier than being in a room with an invisible enemy?”
Presuming it has been placed there as a taunt by Desro, Nameless suggests that the group rest before continuing onwards. Returning to the top of the mound (though not before Luna removes and takes the beholder stalks as trophies), the group makes camp. The evening and early night pass peaceably, but well before dawn, somebody fires a searing light into the camp, barely missing Raog, who is on watch with the unsleeping Six. They quickly wake the others, but there is no other sign of an intruder, other than a discarded scroll. With no target to follow, the adventurers return to their bedrolls.
***
In the morning, they head back into the mound. Nameless, presumably feeling a little impatient, walks straight up to the door and sticks his palms into the carved hand-prints. Immediately, a column of flame engulfs him. When it disappears, he collapses instantly**, with only a barrage of hurried healing keeping him from dying. Soon enough he is back on his feet, though missing most of his hair and all of his eyebrows.
Even as Nameless collapses, an orcish voice from the door says, “Only those true in blood and faith may pass.” Surmising that this means an orc druid needs to open the door, the adventurers discuss what to do. Having seen what happened to Nameless, Raog refuses to risk it, despite his orcish blood. Finally Luna says she will risk it, counting on her druidic training and makes the attempt. When she places her hands in the slots, she feels a chill begin to spread across the palm, until it grows exceedingly cold. Then the slots slide out till her hands are flush with the door and it opens by sliding sideways. Investigation reveals that it rolls shut after thirty seconds and has similar palm-prints on the other side.
The room beyond is another circular one, forty feet across, with a door in the far wall and doors to the two sides. All three have similar hand slots, with the one in the far wall having some small writing on it. The room is also full of (mostly) life-size statues of two kinds – various aberrations, each of them with plants writhing up and around them, and orcs and hobgoblins, all in martial or spellcasting postures. It is lit by four continual flame stones embedded in the wall, though each gives only a feeble glow. Once the adventurers enter, they see another folded piece of parchment against the far door. While Gareth approaches the door to read the one word on it (“Seal”), Nameless opens the note to read, “Answer: Being in a room with an invisible enemy with a sword”. While they are doing so, they hear spellcasting from one side of the room, revealing Desro's presence.
Desro appears as he strikes the approaching Gareth with a powerful strike and the adventurers swarm him. Gareth, Six and Raog surround him, quickly joined by a pair of bison (pseudonatural again) summoned by Nameless, while Luna and Corven launch blasts of flame (him from a wand, her from a spell) at him. They quickly discover that he has some resistance to magic, since it sometimes fails to effect him, as well as to fire and non-magical weapons. The multiple attacks on him do begin to overpower him gradually. Not before he badly wounds one of the bison and Gareth, however, and more irritatingly, smashes his greatsword through Six's spiked chain and Gareth's magical sword, breaking both into pieces. Still, Desro is badly wounded by this point and dimension doors away again, drawing cries of frustration from the adventurers.
All of them rush back out of the mound again. As Luna, in the lead, emerges, a vertical blast of lightning slams down right in front of her and a thick voice from further up the mound says, "Hold!" Luna ignores the warning and rushes out, followed by her allies, some of whom stop to see that the voice comes from an elderly orc wielding a staff and wearing ancient-looking hide armor. He calls, "Hold, intruders, or I will slay you!", and some quick talking from Nameless and Gareth persuades him not to attack.
This orc also claims to be the guardian of mound (and a Gatekeeper) and says he is called Gurr'khan, and it emerges that the orc Desro, Cail and Thalin killed was his apprentice. The fact that he just saw someone fitting Desro's description appear a hundred feet outside the mound and disappear again makes him a little more amenable to the group's assertion, though he remains a little suspicious. Unsurprisingly, so do they, and Nameless asks Gurr'khan to let him cast a detect magic to ascertain that he is not Desro in disguise. He agrees, though he tells a very large bear that has ambled around the mound to join him to "Eat him if he does something silly." When the spell reveals no illusions, he asks the group to accompany him back into the mound, to see if it has been desecrated.
Following him, they return through the room of alcoves (he seems a little impressed at the sight of the dead beholders and says, "You must be more competent than you look") into the one where they fought Desro. There, while he opens the door marked "Seal", Gareth sadly picks up the shards of his weapon, to feel a strong sensation that he should join them together. When he does, there is a flash of light and a curiously draining feeling, and the broken pieces begin to meld together, till the sword is whole again.
Meanwhile, Gurr'khan opens the door to reveal a strange room. Following him in, the adventurers see that it contains a circular chasm some eighty feet across, with a 10 ft wide stone walkway around it. On the far side is a humanoid-shaped cavity about the size of an ogre carved into the stone, with a border full of large dragonshards embedded into it, glowing in the light from the pool below. Forty feet below is what seems to be a strange pool, covered in matter which constantly changes its nature in parts. Sometimes fire, earth, air, water and other elements, it shifts unendingly. Ten feet above the lake in mid-air floats a circular stone slab some two feet in thickness and with a radius of fifteen feet. It is covered with runes and diagrams of various kinds. Some of the runes resemble those used for notations in planar study. As the group looks around the room they all feel a roiling and queasy feeling in their stomachs (including Six, who actually has no stomach).
Gurr'khan examines the alcove and returns, to have Nameless ask him, "Is this a dimensional seal?" He nods and says with an appreciative tone, "Ah, you are a scholar! We shall talk." He then checks the other two rooms. One is an unused bedroom/study, with a stone bed, shelves carved in the wall, and a stone desk. The other has no furniture and is full of shelves holding crudely made stone urns, totaling well over a hundred. Each has a name carved on it, usually orcish in nature, and the words “Guardian” before it. A few say “Initiate” instead and a couple say “Hierophant”.
Closing the doors, Gurr'khan scratches his head and says, "It seems that no serious damage has occurred, though I will need to investigate further. Your presence here may have helped. I am curious to know more, so will you join me for the night?" The adventurers agree and follow the old druid out of the mound.
* Gauth, to be precise
** Flame Strike, which (combined with a failed save) took him straight from 26 to -33 hit pts. Yay for action pts!
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
After our successful ambush, we begin to take stock of our situation. We check on our victims noting that one of them is dead, while the other is unconscious. We heal ourselves, and strip the equipment of the half-elf all the way down to his loin-cloth. Raog identifies this half-elf as Desro, which we proceed to take extra measure in tying him up, and I place my manacles over his hands. Nameless wanted to kill him, almost too eager, but I was able to convince him of not taking this course of action. It seemed to have proved a good choice.
We begin to disarm the traps of the house, and the chest inside the house. There is a wealth of treasure here I have not seen in a while. The only item I could use, a magical bag that allows for the holding of many equipment, is taken by Raog. The rest of the group is able to gain some items of serious note. We proceed to rest for the night without being harassed.
In the morning, we question the half-elf, as it changes into female guise. She tells us about some of the magical items, and then proceeds to beg for her life. Traveling with Nameless for a while, we had come up with the "bad sheriff, good sheriff" routine that seems to work well. While I would not kill this wretch of a person without more cause, I inform her that I am fully obligated to dispatch her if she does not help us. The fact that she is radiating evil is good enough for me. Nameless, is obviously more enthusiastic about killing her, almost too enthusiastic. This changeling, her name is Cail, is a mercenary who has known Desro over the years. She tells us some information, and I give her my personal guarantee that if she helps us - to our satisfaction - we will set her free once we apprehend Desro. She is not happy about this, but realizes that her options are limited, so she helps us out.
Cail leads us to a cave where she last saw Desro. We go inside and are greeted by a half-orc claiming to be the guardian. The guardian offers to let us into the area below. As we walk I have a sudden feel of something pressing down on me, but do not know what it is. As we continue further, this half-orc shows his true form as Desro as soon as he cuts Cail's head off. A battle ensues, where I do not perform so well. Desro teleports away via Dimension door, and we try and charge to find him, but fail to do so.
We continue down the area and find a dead Naga in the area. The creature has been dead for a day or so, and its tongue was removed. Probably some spell component, but only the one who removed the tongue really knows. The room we were in has seventeen archways with a curtain of green light. After reading the inscriptions Nameless voices my thoughts and guesses that this area is some kind of test.
Nameless touches one of the shimmering doors and two beholder-kin appear. A battle ensues that takes a lot out of us. These creatures can do many things in a round and their spells are pretty tough. Luckily, with the blessing of the Silver Flame, I am able to resist most of their spells. Unfortunately, most of the group is either stunned or falls asleep.
Nameless had summoned a celestial Bison, at least it wasn't the fiendish kind, but a pseudo natural appears. He has not been able to do this before, so it must be due to this area. We are able to best these creatures.
After we defeat these creatures a tunnel appears beyond the light. We follow this path and I find a note, which I read: "Question - What is scarier than being in a room with an invisible enemy?” I quip a return "Being in a room with two invisible enemy." At this point Nameless suggests we go out and rest, then come back later.
That night, while sleeping, we are attacked by a Searing Light spell, which misses Raog. Six and Raog wakes everyone up and I charge to where the light was reported to come from. We could not find the attacker so we went back to sleep
After sleeping for the night we went back down to the cave. Ignoring the past reading, or, I guess, feeling the test is over, Nameless puts his hands to the door. A column of flame slam down on top of him, and how I do not know, he managed to survive the fire. We then hear a voice that says only those true of faith and blood may pass. We figure from the words that either an orc or a druid needs to open the door. Raog, being a half-orc, seems to have the blood to do it, but definitely not the faith, or at least the courage. Our druid companion, Luna, accepts the task and places her hands on the door. Luna is able to open the door and the group passes through.
We enter another circular room, and after some looking see it has a handset to allow an exit. Since we know we can get out we continue our passage into this room, which has many life sized statues of various aberrations. We see another note, which Nameless reads "Answer: Being in a room with an invisible enemy with a sword."
Personal Note: My answer was much better, for I have seen many people who can do more damage with their bare hands, then with a sword.
Realizing there is someone invisible in the room I pull out a bag of flour, a trick my father taught me to deal with invisible foes. I have no idea where our assailant might be so I decide to move around the room until he hits me - which he does, with full force. I do not need to throw my flour at him, because his invisibility wore off, but I decide to anyhow - hoping it will blind him temporarily - it doesn't.
A battle ensues, and we quickly surround Desro. I still do a poor job of hitting the person, and cannot fathom why I am failing to hit him. The same cannot be said for him, and as the battle gets desperate for him Desro swings around and strikes at Six's and my weapon. Both of them shatter into pieces. I continue to fight, enraged and saddened, pulling out a dagger and striking. Desro decides this is not enough, and uses his dimension door spell to exit the area.
I sink to the ground, on my knees, realizing that my fathers and his fathers and his fathers sword, going as far back as our family lineage can tell has been shattered. I have done what no other before me has been able to do, and that is to allow Kismet to be destroyed. For some reason, unknown to me, I start to place the pieces of the sword next to each other, in the form of the sword. I then feel a surge of energy in my being, and to my great awe the sword starts to nit and meld back together as if it is the rare and mystical Aururum. In a matter of moments the sword is whole, as if nothing happened to it.
After the sword becomes whole Nameless screams for us to charge. Luna is in the lead and as she is about to run out a column of lightning strikes down in front of her. She hears a "HOLD!" and ignores it, running forward. We all get outside and see an orc in very old hide armor. He commands us to stop or he will slay us. He demands information.
Nameless and I introduce ourselves, and the orc informs us that he is the guardian of the mound. He introduces himself as Gurr'khan. Gurr'khan offers us some information, and asks us to follow him, but Nameless demands that he prove himself. Nameless casts a detect magic spell, but does not see any illusion spells cast upon him.
We head on down into the cave into a room with dragon shards along the archway. We pass this archway into a circular room that has a chasm. At the bottom is slab of stone that seems to float on fire, then air, then water, then earth, and other elements. After being satisfied with his inspection, Gurr'khan invites us back to his cottage so we can continue speaking.
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
Gurr'khan first goes up the mound to the spot where he'd been standing when you first saw him. There is the bloodied corpse of a young orc lying behind a large rock there. Gurr'khan says simply, "My apprentice Bharmak," before picking up the body and placing it on the back of the bear, which has accompanied him, where he secures it with some rope. Then he leads you towards the surrounding wall of plants, in the opposite direction from which you came.
When he reaches the wall, he casts a spell (Reduce Plants, some of you realize) to create a pathway through it, albeit an overgrown one, and leads you through it. Once you are on the far side, he casts another spell (Plant Growth) to regrows the vegetation. He leads you into the forest for another hour, before you reach a large clearing with a pond and a cottage standing beside it. The cottage is made of stone and seems to be quite sturdy. He asks you to wait and takes the corpse inside, and returns after a short while while to rejoin you. He produces some crude stools and a small table, as well as a couple of bowls of fruit and a large ewer of water. Inviting you to eat and rest, he sits down cross-legged and leaning against the bear (which promptly falls asleep). "So," he says, looking around at all of you, "Tell me exactly who you are and what you do in my domain. And more about this intruder that you (he nods at Nameless) said you were pursuing."
***
Gareth:
Following Gurr'khan to his cottage, he notes the path. While he does not doubt his chances of getting lost, Gareth would at least like some sense of location. Once inside the cottage, Gareth takes a drink of water before speaking, "My name is Gareth Deneith, holy warrior of the Silver Flame. We have travelled here from Sharn in the attempts to capture this person alive" looking at Nameless, "or dead. He is called Desro. He is a traitor and deserter, as well as thief and murderer." Pausing for a moment, "What is the area we were at, and why would Desro have interest in it?"
***
"We are mercenaries in this affair, though I think we may have earned the emnity of Desro. This gentleman (pointing at Raog) had hired us to hunt down Desro for some of his various crimes. He had received information that he would be at a cabin in the woods several miles from here. So we located the cabin and laid an ambush for him. After a fierce pitched battle we managed to take down someone who we thought was Desro and a Half-elf ally of his. The false Desro had only just survived and the Half-elf was not so lucky."
Namless pauses for a second, "Ah, we left the Half-elf's corpse back at the cabin if it is of any interest to you as they both aided Desro in killing your apprentice. The Changeling's corpse you probably passed on the stairs of the mound. She had quickly revealed the deception as we weren't terribly inclined to keep Desro alive. So she told us about how they helped Desro to murder your apprentice at the mound, before he had them wait back at the cabin where we fought them. I suspect that he did this to rid himself of them and that he knew or suspected that someone was or would be after him and know about the cabin. I suspect that Desro betrays people as often as other yawn."
"But I digress. We made her lead us to the mound on the chance that we could still catch him. We did encounter him, but he was disguised to look like one of your guardians and only revealed the deception when he decapitated the changling. After a brief skirmish he used magic to vanish. We pressed on to try and determine what his interest was in the mound, as pursuit proved futile. You've pretty much been told the rest. What his interest was is still unclear, though obviously this place has some key role with regards to the Dalkyr and their servants. You've already told us that one of the seals is here."
***
Gurr'khan's expression darkens as each of you speak, but he does not reply to either of your comments for a moment. Finally, he says, "This news is not good. I have not heard of this Desro, but then I do not ... how do you say it ... get around much. But I have suspicions of why he came here."
His expression darkens further, and he gestures at Nameless as he speaks, "As you noted, the place you visited holds one of the dimensional seals that holds Xoriat at bay. There are very few such in Breland, the manifest zones to the Realm of Madness being much more common in what your people call the Shadow Marches, and to a lesser extent, in the Eldeen Reaches. This is an especially strong one, since it blocks an actual portal to Xoriat, one which the daelkyr used millennia ago to send their forces into Khorvaire. My people fought them back and sealed it, and ever since, some of my blood and faith have guarded it. I am Gurr'khan, Gatekeeper guardian, and I guard this place with my life!"
By this point he is getting quite animated, waving his arms to illustrate his points. A sleepy growl from the bear draws his attention and he growls back, "Shut it, hairy!" (which doesn't draw any response), but he does seem to calm down. He doesn't look any more cheerful, however. Taking a deep breath, he continues, "Anyway, as I was saying ... the strength of the portal has some strange effects near the seal, in the area within the mound. Magic is sometimes warped and those who stay there too long are changed." He taps himself on the chest in emphasis, and you notice a strange ripple run along the clothing of his chest. "The alcove you saw, marked with the dragonshards, was created to focus those energies, with some of my kind choosing to let themselves be changed so as to fight the daelkyr and their followers with their own energies. Those who stand within for a long time are mutated according to their nature, whether good or evil. This Desro may have come here in search of that power."
He pauses, and then says, "Or perhaps he came to find this place and gain knowledge of it. There are fools on this world who would break the seals and unleash the daelkyr upon us again. Perhaps this Desro is one of those fools." He falls silent and mumbles to himself for a moment and then says, "This place has been secret for centuries, with only a few knowing of its location. Now this Desro knows - and so do you. Even now I wonder, what should I do with you?" He eyes you all and scowls in thought.
***
Sensing a potential fight, but not wanting to cause anymore alarm, Gareth, with his best diplomatic speech (you can roll it Shil) speaks, "Peace be to you Gatekeeper. This Desro we are seeking is a fairly powerful villain, and it would be more beneficial to you and your cause if we were around to help. We do not wish to see this Desro gain any power, nor reveal the location of this place. I can promise you, on the Silver Flame itself, that I will not speak of this location to anyone outside this group. I can also promise you that I do not mean to break the seals or release any evil, nor do I pine to gain the power that may be stolen from the cave. I have a little bit of knowledge on the matters of which you speak, though not as much as my comrade or yourself. Let us work together, to remove Desro so he is not a threat. Once this has been completed, we can continue the issue you may have of us knowing about this place."
***
Nameless:
"If it is your task to guard this place, then it would be foolish for you to leave it abandoned and open to those who would exploit it. As you would do if you left to pursue Desro. We are already engaged in hunting him, so it would seem to me that you might as well make use of that and let us track him. One of your faith is already among us and she was trained by a fellow Gatekeeper. So even if you do not trust the rest of us, you should be able to trust her."
"As for myself, I am a seeker after knowledge, which is how I know of such things. I have no interest in loosing the Daelkyr, they are little more than spoiled children who delight only in the breaking of things. I am willing to swear whatever oaths you wish to that effect."
***
Gurr'khan nods slowly in agreement and says, "You speak well. My absence has already led to the death of Bharmak and I cannot leave this place - or at least not unless I know there are other guardians and I take some precautions. If you are already pursuing Desro, perhaps helping you will serve as well as undertaking the quest myself."
He seems to consider for a bit and then says, "Oaths have little meaning to me. I feel you speak truly, and if you did lie now, nothing would prevent you from breaking an oath either. Still, I ask you not to mention what you have seen here to anyone. Well, except some people I have in mind. You," (he says to Gareth) "said that you are from Sharn. Will you carry a message there for me? A few of my people are there and I will need them to send me another apprentice to replace Bharmak." He scowls again and adds gloomily, "And they must know what has happened here - and some other things. Something is stirring. Xoriat seeks to extend its reach."
***
Gareth:
Listening to Gurr'khan, and knowing that he is making some sense now, "I would be honored to take your message to Sharn. We could definitely use your help also. I think our biggest problem with Desro, other then his sheer power, is his ability to teleport away from combat when things get rough for him." Turning to Nameless, "It seems Desro is able to resist many of your spells, including your slow spell. Do you happen to have a haste spell? I think that would help us out more. A possible action is to have one or more of us hold our actions, and the moment he tries to dimension door, we hit him with everything we got. He probably won't do this until the 2nd or 3rd stage of combat."
***
Gurr'khan waves a hand dismissively. "Typical coward who will not stay and fight, it seems. Anyway, I doubt that he is still around, but I should check on that. Excuse me for a while. Rest here, but do not enter my hut. Bur'al here," he indicates the bear, "Might not take that well. Otherwise, you do not need to worry about him."
With that, he rises to his feet and takes a few steps away, before transforming into an eagle. With a flap of his wings, he rises into the air and heads south at considerable pace.
***
You get some time to yourselves and two hours later (just after noon), the eagle returns and transforms into Gurr'khan. Walking over to join you, he says, "I have found no sign of this Desro. I did find the hut where you said he and his allies were staying, but it was deserted. I looked around the area for tracks and found those of some half dozen horses leaving the area quite recently - maybe an hour before I reached there - but that was it. I believe our quarry is gone for now."
Raog jumps up and says, mostly to himself, "Horses? Son-of-a- bitch stole the horses? - that totally kills any little profit I might have made!" Gurr'khan gives him a dirty look and he subsides.
Gurr'khan continues, "It will take you a good eight hours to reach the Keep on foot. I do not go there, but I know how far away it is." He looks at the sun and then says, "You would not reach it by nightfall. You are welcome to stay here and leave tomorrow, if that suits you."
(OOC: As far as you know, the ship you came here on be heading back to Sharn tomorrow, though you do not know when. Constant traveling from where you are would get you to it in twelve hours.)
***
Looking at Roag, just as equally if not more, with a dirty look. "Your hospitality is generous, and we may take it, but that depends the mode of transportation we can find tomorrow. I would rather be on the heels of this person so he does not have time to rest." Looking at Luna and Nameless, "Do either of you have a way to summon mounts for us? Or some other mode of fast transportation?"
***
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
Discovering that they have no quick transportation, the adventurers ask Gurr'khan for help. He says that he will produce some and flies deeper into the forest in eagle form, returning nearly an hour later on the shoulder of a treant, who turns out to be both uncommunicative and a trifle deaf. It is, however, willing to carry the group to the forest's edge. Before they leave, Gurr'khan writes and gives them a sealed message, which they are to deliver to someone called Surr'kal at the Gatehouse in Carosten Park. After giving it to them, he remembers something he forgot and tells them to add that "Yarkuun Draal stirs. This is no coincidence." Nameless recognizes the name as that of one of the greatest cities of the hobgoblin empire of Dhakaan, located in the Siln Highland south of Sharn and believed to be haunted. Before leaving, he asks Gurr'khan if he can return later to learn more of this place, and the old druid agrees.
The treant picks them up, placing some on his shoulders and carrying others, and quickly heads south. It only comes to a stop two hours later, where the forest is thinning. Since it doesn't seem about to lower anyone, Nameless tries to climb down and falls off, which attracts the treant's attention enough for it to lower everyone before marching off. Along with Raog, whom it forgets to lower, causing him to yell and jump off too.
The group continues to the town surrounding Shadowlock Keep, where they arrive three hours later to learn that Desro (now with a different appearance) arrived there some hours ago with their horses. A disgusted Raog leaves the group at this time, quite upset about the loss of the horses, but not before asking them to come speak to his boss Kaar'Aashta in Sharn. The adventurers ask questions of many people in town, ranging from beggars to pickpockets (Corven enticing an urchin into trying to pickpocket him) to merchants to innkeepers, and find that Desro sold the horses to a shifty-looking half-orc, who left town with them shortly after. They investigate a disreputable tavern-cum-inn called The Witch's Teat, which their investigations indicate he entered, but find no trace of him and conclude that he left in disguise. They spend the night at a much better inn called The Hairy Halfling (Ghallanda-run, of course). Corven creates a whispering wind spell and sends it to the ship, asking the captain to wait for them.
The next morning, they head south and arrive at the fishing village and are quickly aboard. Captain Gorin confirms that he received the magical message from Corven, which is why he waited instead of leaving at dawn. He also says that the sahuagin prisoners are fineand he is waiting to get them back to Sharn for interrogation. The ship leaves soon after the group is on board and heads south and east.
The trip is uneventful other than for the sight of a dead whale some distance from the ship's route. It turns out to have been dead for a while, going by the scavengers feeding off it, and slain by something very large, going by the sections where it has had the flesh ripped off in large strips. The crew and mercenaries make random guesses about what killed it but can make no sure conclusion. Other than that, the only event on the trip is a small squall, which creates no other trouble than some seasickness among those aboard the ship.
***
The ship eventually reaches on Mol the 23rd, 10 days after they left. There are the usual customs inspectors present at the docks, but Quinn is also present and apparently has enough influence to stop them from bothering the group. After speaking to Captain Gorin, he thanks them for their help and pays them the promised 150 galifars each. He also asks if they might be interested in helping with any further investigations on the sahuagin issue, as well as other jobs that might fit their eclectic skills. They say, as usual, that they might be interested depending on the job but cannot promise anything. Quinn says that he will contact them at their inn if he does need them, and leaves with a parting thank you.
Heading up to Sharn proper, the group heads to the Happy Harvest inn. Palk greets them as they come in and gives Gareth an envelope that was delivered for him on the 12th. It has a House Sivis seal on it, evidently having traveled through their message service, and contains a letter each from his mother and his grandmother. Palk also mentions that Bodo showed up some six or seven days ago, hung around for a day and then left. Palk has not seen him since.
After a meal at the inn, some of the group head in different directions. Nameless visits the Guild of Starlight and Shadows, spending some time there transcribing a spell from their library to his spellbook, before visiting Trillia at her home. There he tells her a little of what he encountered during the trip and also asks her for details about dimensiona seals in general and about any in Cyre, in particular. Gareth visits the Cathedral of the Silver Flame, where he attends the evening service. Golar, the acolyte who has spoken to him a few times before, sees him and comes over to greet him. Golar mentions that Bodo seemed to have trouble with the discipline of the Cathedral (he hastens to add that the boy was not mistreated in any way) and left there about a week ago. Gareth lets him know that he already knows about that.
Corven, meanwhile, visits the Cyran embassy. Attempting to get an appointment with Lord Jairan, he discovers that the ambassador is free at the moment and gets to meet him. Jairan is quite pleased to see Corven and even more so when the artificer says that he has thought about it and agreed to take on the position as current head of the family. Jairan suggests that they have the investiture ceremony four days later, the day after the festival of Aureon's Crown. He says that the ceremony will be quite simple and will be followed by a formal banquet, to which he hopes some local dignitaries will come. Corven will be officially noted as head of the ir'Lanya house in the records of the embassy and the news will be conveyed to Prince Oargev at New Cyre too. Jairan asks Corven to speak to Tyrala about this and some other matters that she wished to see him about (which Jairan seems to have no details about).
When Corven meets Tyrala, she notes his agreement to be invested and then tells him that there are two matters she wished to see him about. Cala Narain, the ranking ex-Cyran military officer in Sharn, has told her of the disappearances of three people from High Walls, where the majority of the Cyran refugees are located. She asks Corven to investigate these disappearances, if possible. Then she asks him very simply, "Are you a patriot?" When Corven replies, "Very much so," she says that in that case he must be interested in finding out about the cause of the Day of Mourning, as any true Cyran is. She proceeds to explain that some of her sources indicate that the Karrnathi embassy in town is currently housing a delegation that includes someone who was studying magical methods of mass destruction and may have had something to do with the Day of Mourning. It may be possible to arrange for either the Karrnathis to attend the banquet after Corven's investiture or to have Corven (and perhaps some members of his group) attend a dinner at the Karrnathi embassy. The fact that Corven will be taking on his noble position will facilitate such an encounter, as will the presence of a Karrnathi (Gareth) in the group. In either case, Corven and his companions can do a little subtle fact-finding for Tyrala. Corven agrees to the proposal, causing Tyrala to say that in view of his efforts, the regular 'donation for such investitures will be waived in his case.
When Corven returns to the inn and rejoins the others, he lets them know about his upcoming investiture and meeting with the Karrnathis. After a little prodding from Gareth, he shares all the information Tyrala did. Gareth and the others agree to attend and help in this regard. With the decision made, the group turns in for the night, planning to deliver Gurr'khan's message the next day.
***
The next morning, they make their way to Upper Central, where they are stopped a couple of times by guards looking for identification and looking silent askance at their weapons and armor. Entering the Skysedge Park district, they pass the park that the district takes its name from and see the 100 ft tall statue called the Iron Guardian. Entering Carosten Park, they discover the Gatehouse to be a squat stone building. There they meet Surr'kal, who is a middle-aged orc, and another younger druid (a shifter) named Teln.
After reading the letter, Surr'kal checks with the group for more details about what happened with Gurr'khan. The adventurers speak about Desro but are quite discreet about the Seal and only mention it when Surr'kal says that the note says they have seen it. He shares a little information about Gurr'khan, who he says is one of the most powerful druids in Breland, saying that he has been changed in some ways by his work near the Seal, which is why he has a ring of tentacles on his stomach. Surr'kal also, a little hesitantly, asks the group if they are known as the Misfits. Nameless says that it is a good description but not their name, and he apologizes and says that he asked because that is what Gurr'khan refers to them as consistently in the letter.
Surr'kal asks Luna if she is interested in joining the Gatekeepers in Sharn, but she says that she would rather remain with the group, though she is not averse to learning about the Gatekeeper tradition. He also asks if the group is interested in helping him with a potential problem. He says that a pair of the Children of Winter (a druidic sect that some of the party have heard of in passing, and whom Luna knows a little about) are in the city and looking for something in the Cogs, and he is interested in finding out what they are after. He warns that the pair (a male human druid and a female shifter ranger) are powerful, as evinced by their slaying of a group of muggers who attacked them, and should be approached with caution. The supposed Misfits agree to check this out if they have the time. Before they leave, Surr'kal asks them to remain in touch, saying honestly that Gurr'khan is quite insistent that he keep an eye on the group since they are supposedly important for some reason (Gurr'khan has not specified). He also warns that they might see certain changes due to their time in the Seal room, even if it was for just a few minutes.
Leaving the druids, Nameless returns to the Guild for more spell-scribing and Gareth to the Cathedral. He asks a few people there about exorcism, since that is an area that he has training in but has had little opportunity to practice. He learns that there are no specific exorcists in the Cathedral, but the Archierophant herself is known to have done a few in her time, and very successfully so.
Meanwhile, Corven, Luna and Six return to the inn and are met there by the changeling Flan. He greets them and delivers a sealed message from Killian. The message reads only - "Greetings. You may be interested to know that the dreamlily den I mentioned, in the tenement district of Tumbledown, is flourishing and dozens of people are getting addicted daily. Congratulations. K" Corven sends back a message that perhaps the group will do something about in return for payment and more information, and arranges a meeting with Killian at the Lucky Nines casino, where they had met before. Shortly after Gareth and Nameless return, the Misfits also receive a message from Karr'Aashta asking them to meet him at their convenience, which draws comments that at this rate the group needs a secretary to track their appointments.
At eight that night, the group reaches the Lucky Nines, to find Killian at the same table as before. He greets them jovially and seems in very good spirits. He teases the group, especially Gareth, for being mercenary enough to ask for payment for doing a good deed. After a little verbal sparring, the Misfits agree to eliminate the Daask drug den for a payment of 250 galifars each, half of which Killian pays on the spot. He also promises that no organization he works for (he claims to be "purely freelance") nor he himself will set up a similar drug den in Tumbledown. He also promises to not reveal the identities of the group to anyone, in case Daask comes looking for hem for revenge. Killian claims (apparently honestly) that his main interest in the issue is because arranging the destruction of the Daask operation will gain him some 'prestige' in certain quarters. The Misfits are quite open about the fact that they do not trust him, but that does not seem to bother him at all. When Gareth, unable to spend more time with the gnome, suggests they leave, he bids them goodbye with a cheery "parting is such sweet sorrow" and watches them go.
Leaving the casino, the Misfits travel to the Deathsgate district and Karr'Aashta's Investigations. Though it is late, they catch him there and have a short meeting with him. He asks some questions about Desro and seems pleased to know that they are very interested in tracking down him down. Karr'Aashta also mentions Gurr'khan and the Seal, at which point the Misfits tell him to keep the information private. He agrees saying that it is not a subject that he deals with and goes on to ask them about their availability for other jobs, whether bounty hunting (as with Desro) or escort for an important individual or package, or to locate something. The Misfits say that they have a lot on their plate right now, but might consider it. Karr'Aashta says that he will let them know if he learns more about Desro or has some other potential job for them, after which they leave.
Walking back along the now much darker and relatively deserted skybridges of Deathsgate, the group walks into an ambush. or, more properly, Gareth does. In the lead, he just reaches a space between two buildings when a pair of crossbow bolts fly at him, one sinking painfully into his shoulder. The archers are a pair of halflings, who are accompanied by another pair, the latter two armed with daggers. These two move forward, one striking at Gareth and another at Corven.
Once the small muggers can see exactly how many people are in the group, they try to beat a fighting retreat. Unfortunately for them, Nameless quickly slows a couple of them and then summons a bison (this one not pseudonatural but celestial) that mashes one against the wall. Another manages to hit Gareth with a hurled dagger before being brought down by a combination of a hurled produce flame from Luna and Corven's crossbow, and Six's spiked chain splatters another's brains across the street. The last halfling throws away his dagger and falls to his knees, babbling to be saved.
Gareth, mightily irritated at being wounded, then ignored while asking for healing, and finally due to his inability to hit anything but thin air during the fight, heals himself and then goes off to find some guards. He locates pair who grudgingly accompany him. Once they see the situation, they drag the surviving halfling away and return with a couple more guards to get the bodies. Six hears the halfling say something about being "Boromar" to them (indicating his membership in the older and major crime gang in Sharn), but the guards seem to pay no attention other than to say, "So? Tell that to lady Iyanna" (leading Corven to assume they are referring to Iyanna ir'Talan, head of the Watch in Tavick's Landing and known to be a very honest officer.
With the minor excitement for the evening apparently at an end, the Misfits head back to their inn.
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
After speaking with Gurr’khan for a while, he offers to get us some transportation. He transforms into an eagle and darts off bringing back with him an ancient Treant. This creature takes us on his shoulders and carries us to the edge of the forest. Gurr’khan then asks me to carry a note for him, to a colleague, who lives in Sharn. I take this note and promise to carry the message.
Nameless, again, tries to prove his climbing abilities but manages to fall from the shoulders of this magical tree. From there, we continue by foot and get to Shadowlock Keep. After doing some investigations, which helps a begger and a child pick-pocket, we find that Desro has sold the horses to a trader who immediately left town. We continue to question around and I suggest we stay at the inn, and make some “noise” to help attract Desro. Since he can change his appearance, I would prefer he come to us – since finding him would be near impossible. Since we happen to have some of his valuables, he may want to get a hold of us.
The next morning we make our way back to the ship. Captain Gorin waited for us, since he received a magical message from Corven. On the way back to Sharn, we see a dead whale, belly up and with some chunks removed. Apparently this is an anomaly, and as such the Captain does not want to investigate and attract whatever did that damage. Note: It may be wise to speak with the captured Sahuagin.
After arriving at Sharn, 10 days after we left, we go through customs. We are not harried by customs since Quinn is waiting there for us. We, each, receive our payment for a job well done and he offers us a chance to do some more work in the future. We tell him that it depends on the job.
After we leave the docks, we head back to the Inn. I find out that Bodo has disappeared about six or so days prior to us returning. Note: If I see Bodo I will give him one more chance, but after that he is on his own. This is assuming Bodo was not kidnapped or killed. On a bright note I receive a letter, delivered by House Sivis, from my mother and grandmother. This is very exciting and I will not to create a response and send it off to them tonight or tomorrow. We spend some time at the Inn, putting our stuff away, and then head back out. Nameless goes off to some place, he says his guild, but I am sure the guild is the other way. I ask him to get a spell of Haste, which I think will be more valuable –and certainly easier to use- then his Slow spell. He gives me a look that I am sure was not meant for happy thoughts.
I head off to the Silver Flame Cathedral for services. I also speak with an acolyte I met a while ago, Golar. He informs me of Bodo’s problems with discipline, and that he is no longer around. I also search around for information about Exorcism – something I think that will help in my cause to root out evil from the Church as well as the world.
I head back to the inn and am greeted by Corven. He starts to speak to me about his investiture party, which I am glad to attend. While I, personally, think it is silly to worry about such things, especially since he was about 15th in line, before his family died, I understand that Corven needs bonds and ties to his past. Corven also mentions a party, and alludes to some information gathering from the Carnathan’s and the destruction of Cyre. While speaking with him, I notice that he will not look me fully in the eye. His vein, on his top right temple, also seems to be bulging a bit. Corven was holding something back, but I do not wish to insult him by saying as such. While I do not like secrets, and especially deception amongst comrades, I feel Corven would not do anything to cause harm to the group. I do inform Corven that while I do plan to socialize and am willing to speak with Carnathan delegation party, I will not do anything to potentially insult them. I also take this time to mention that I will invite Lalia to accompany me to the investiture and the party.
We head to sleep, having a busy and successful day, but before I do so I compose a letter to my family.
The next morning we head out to deliver Gurr’khan’s letter. We speak to Surr’kal and he begins to question us about the Seal. We do not mention anything until he gives us more information, confirming his awareness of the situation and Gurr’khan’s desire to have us speak to him about it. We inform Surr’kal of our benign intentions and that we can offer help if he need’s it…again, assuming the help is something that does not violate my oaths to the Silver Flame, Justice or the betterment of innocents. Surr’kal invites Luna to join the Gatekeepers, but she politely stalls, until she finds out more about what is needed. Surr’kal asks us to investigate some happenings in the Cogs, referring to a group Children of Winter who has two druids down there. We will check this out in a couple of day’s time.
We part company with Surr’kal, and Nameless heads back to work on his magic. I go back to the Cathedral to get some more information about Exorcism, this time with success. Apparently the Arc hierophant has accomplished some Exorcisms in the past.
When I return to the inn, I see the group is speaking with Flan. Corven passes me a letter, from Killian, and I look at it with disgust. One because of what has been going on, and two because Killian has the nerve to blame us for some gang’s doing. We tell Flan to let Killian know we will meet him.
We head down to the Lucky Nines and speak with Killian. I am quite frank with him, and not only inform him of my disgust for him, and mistrust, but that if I find he is trying to manipulate us for some sinister plot, he would have to worry about me. After negotiations I get the party to leave, as this place as well as Killian makes me want to puke.
Leaving the Lucky Nines we head out to speak with Karr’Aashta. We tell him about our trip, minus the Seal, but find out Roag has already told him about it. Apparently Roag is not capable of keeping his promises either. Karr’Aashta asks if he could use us to continue to find Desro, and we tell him we would happily do so, but not for the next few days.
We head back to the inn and are attacked but some muggers. Again, for some unknown reason, I am failing to hit my opponents. This has been going on for almost a fortnight, and it is increasingly frustrating. I take the brunt of the blows from these guys, and they go down. Nameless summons his celestial bison, and Luna starts throwing fists of flame. I do, however, complain to the group for the lack of healing. I inform them that if I am going to be in the front, acting as a shield, then I need someone behind me healing. They tell me I am over-reacting, and then I show them the severe wounds. One of the Halflings lives was spared as he begged for mercy. We summoned the guards who took him away. M66 overheard the Halfling mention “Boromar” and then the guard smacked him on the head. According to Corven, the officer of the watch, Lady Iyanna is a straight edge and will not tolerate things, even from powerful gang members.
We continue back home, with a lot done, and knowing that we not only helped a good many souls, but angered some very evil ones. A total success in my books.
__________________ shilsen is broken - Crothian (and this is why)
My Eberron Story Hour. Updated November 12. Almost at the climax!
- Crothian (and 
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